Love and Sins
by Jenny1751
Summary: Magnolia was attacked and during the fight, Lucy died. So they left to get their revenge. But is Lucy really gone forever? What will they do if they find out that Lucy's still alive and is being held captive by the very person who supposedly "killed" her? NaLu. Inspired from the comic: Grim Tales by bleedman. EPILOGUE has been posted!
1. The incident

Natsu was on his way towards the outskirts of Magnolia with Erza, Gray, and Happy. Erza and Happy carried a bouquet of flowers while Natsu and Gray had some candles. Each one of them bore sad expressions on their faces. But their feeling could never be compared to Natsu. While they only felt loneliness and hurt he also felt guilt. The others also felt guilt, but not as much as the fire mage was. But after all that's happened, you can't blame any of them for feeling that way.

It has only been a week since that incident. Where they lost something that can never be replaced. Something that has already become a great part of their lives. They lost someone who was most dear to them. Their beloved nakama, or rather, a part of their family.

Lucy Hearphilia.

They could all remember that incident so well. Almost half of Magnolia's population were killed during that time, but Lucy was the only mage who did. Other than that, it seemed that she was the one who suffered the most terrible death out of all those people.

They arrived at a clearing, where a large gravestone was placed in the middle. There, a list of names were carved. Of course, Lucy was among those names. So many had died in that incident that the mayor decided to do a mass burial. At first, a lot of people were against it, but in the end, there was nothing they could do. Erza and Happy placed the flowers in front of the grave as Gray and Natsu lit the candles.

Soon, everything came back to them. Memories of that incident came flooding back.

A neighboring country has declared war a month ago. They started to attack different cities in Fiore, and among those cities were Magnolia. They had tried so hard to defend it. Every single member of Fairy Tail tried to fight off the soldiers, but they had very strong mages. Not even Erza could match them. Gildarts and Laxus managed to fight them off a bit. Crime Sorciere fought along with them, and that was how they saved half of the city's population, but that was all they could do. But something happened during that fight.

_FLASHBACK_

_Natsu was trying desperately to fight off their opponent at a mountain next to Magnolia, Lisanna and Lucy by his side. Their opponent was a tall man with bright red eyes and black hair. He uses a similar type of magic as Sherry from Lamia Scale. He can control anything that isn't human. Including Lucy's celestial spirits. Though it didn't matter at that time, because Lucy had lost her keys and all she has now was her whip._

_"Heehee, you think you people can beat me?" the man smirked. "None of you can even lay a finger on me!"_

_Then they were attacked by a rocks that took the shape of humans. But they were outnumbered, there was no way they could have won._

_"There's no end to them!" Lucy said._

_"But we have to try our best." Lisanna said as she was transformed into a tigress. But then she was changed back into her normal form._

_"Lisanna?" _

_"I'm out of magocal power!" she said. And then, suddenly, one of the figures pushed her into the cliff. Fortunately, she was able to grab on and started dangling at the edge of that cliff. She wasn't sure how much longer she can hold on to it._

_"Natsu! Help!" she cried._

_"Lisanna!" Natsu yelled as he ran to her rescue. But then, he heard another call for help._

_"Kyaa! Natsu!" Lucy cried for help. He turned around to see that one of those rock figures had her pinned to the ground, lying on her stomach._

_"Natsu!" Lisanna yelled again. Natsu glanced at Lisanna then back at Lucy then back at Lisanna. He wondered: 'who should I save?'_

_"Natsu!" both women yelled in unison._

_Then Lucy shrieked. Natsu looked to see another rock creature lifting a rock and was about to smash it to Lucy's head. Without hesitation, he ran towardds Lucy's rescue, and at the same time, Lisanna lost her grip._

_"Kyaa!"_

_Natsu punched both the figures which immediately fell down and he turned back to the rupture. "Lisanna!" He ran towards the rupture. What if he lost her again? What if she died for real this time? What if it'll be like the last time and he couldn't have done anything about it? All this questions were filling in his head as he felt guilt overcome him. But he soon sighed in relief._

_"I-I'm alright." Lisanna said, she had transformed her arms into wings and was thankfully saved. _

_"Thank God."_

_"Luckily, I was able to regain even a bit amount of magical power. Enough to transform for a while."_

_"Lisanna, are you ok?" Lucy asked running to them._

_"Yeah, I'm fine. Now let's go help the others." Lisanna ran towards the city, not noticing the fact that her companions weren't following her. Lucy felt tired as she collapsed to her knees. Natsu sat down in front of her with his arms crossed._

_"I wonder where the guy we were fighting with went." she said, Natsu didn't respond._

_"Natsu?" still no response. "Oh, by the way, thanks for saving me back the-"_

_"They weren't much." he finally spoke. Lucy fell silent._

_"Those things were weak and pathetic! And you couldn't deal with them?" he said facing her with an angry expression. "Lisanna was dangling on a cliff a while ago! And without my help she still managed to save herself! What if she hadn't had enough power to transform? What if I lost her again? I didn't come to her rescue so I can save you! Because you're like those things! You're both weak and pathetic! Why am I stuck with you anyway? If you're just gonna be some damsel in distress all the time you might as well have stayed with your dad! You ran away from that place to become something you can't handle! You ran away because you hated it there! You ran away for your own selfish actions! Cause that's what you are! A weak and selfish spoiled princess!"_

_He stood up. "I'm going back. If you're gonna follow me you better not get in anyone's way. Cause that's what you always do."_

_Lucy just sat there watching as Natsu walked away from her. _

_Natsu was really mad at her right now. Seriously, how can someone be so weak? He almost lost Lisanna back there. And Lucy acted as if nothing had happened. He couldn't believe that girl. But for soe reason, as he was nearing the town, he stopped. He looked back. Lucy was out of sight. She hadn't followed him. For a second, he felt the urge to come back to her. But he ignored it, not knowing that he'll be regretting that decision. _

_A shriek was heard and then something started to rise from the mountains. Everyone in the city, including Natsu, turned to look at it and were all shocked. They saw the mountain take the form. It didn't look like a human, but more like the giant robot that Phantom Lord had used to attack the guild._

_They stared at it dumbfounded. Then it headed towards Magnolia. Every mag in Fairy Tail prepared to attack until a man shouted from the mountain._

_"Oi! Visne Soldiers! Draw back!" the black haired man, Natsu's previous opponent, shouted. They stared at him in shock._

_"Don't misunderstand! Our job here is finished." he said. "We have better things to-"_

_He was cut off when swords that came out of nowhere attacked him. As he dodged them, he saw some people coming towards him. Erza, Gray, and Natsu charged towards him. He smirked._

_"Ah, you must be the rumored 'Strongest Team in Fairy Tail'. It's an honor to meet you." he bowed._

_"Guys!" Lucy yelled, and they turned to see her trapped in the mountain puppet hands._

_"Lucy!" Erza yelled._

_"Hang in there!" Gray told her. Natsu looked a little pissed, but said nothing. _

_"Ah, I wonder if you are a worthy opponent." he said. "Because, if not, you won't be able to save your friend."_

_"Huh? Looks like you're underestimating us." Gray cracked his knuckles._

_The man smirked and they started landing their attacks on him. But they've already used up most of their magical power. Moreover, a large rock puppet appeared which was a whole lot stronger than Natsu had fought before. They couldn't even scratch him. Soon enough, they collapsed, too weak and tired to even stand. _

_"Heh, as I thought, you're all worthless." _

_"Guys!" Lucy yelled once again. They tried to stand up again, but failed._

_"Well then, I suppose I won't be needing you anymore." he told Lucy and snapped his fingers._

_And with that simple act, the world, for them, seemed like it was crashing down._

_Right in front of their eyes, the rock puppet ripped their beloved celestial mage apart limb from limb and then threw her aside as if she was just a rag doll. Her team mates watched in horror as Lucy's body parts landed a few meters away from them. They were frozen in shock, their bodies trembled, and tears started to form in the corner of their eyes as they stared at their comrade's body which was covered in a pool of blood._

_But the man wasn't done with her yet, he then approached her and mumbled something. They couldn't hear what he had said, even Natsu, with his incredible sense of hearing couldn't understand a word he had said. If there was time to think, he would have realized that the man was speaking another language. But there was no time to think about that. In fact, it didn't matter anymore. It all happened so fast, because after he whispered to himself, without hesitation, plucked one of Lucy's eyes out, as if she still wasn't in enough pain. Her friends couldn't have done anything about it. That was why they felt so much guilt soon after. They had watched their friend suffer so much, go through such great misery, and yet they couldn't have done anything about it. _

_"Well then," the man said, holding her eyeball. "I'll be taking my leave."_

_And before they knew it, the rock puppet pushed them out of the moving mountain. They still haven't recovered from the shock. But when they crashed to the ground, they seemed to have snapped back to reality. But they were still speechless. Until Natsu's nose twitched and he sprinted to a run. _

_"N-Natsu?" Erza asked._

_"C'mon!" was his only reply and he started wandering around the wood until he froze in his place. This gave Gray and Erza time to catch up with him. But they also froze at what the dragon slayer had found._

_The remains of Lucy's body._

_They felt tears forming at the corner of their eyes. For their beloved nakama to suffer such a death . . . they couldn't stop their tears as it rolled down their cheeks. g__But then, Lucy's hand twitched, her team mates flinched at that simple act and they quickly ran to her side._

_She was alive._

_After suffering through all that pain and suffering she was still alive. But of course, she was in pain. She was in so much pain. It was heart breaking to see their comrade in such a state. Especially while knowing her life will be ending soon enough. And there will be nothing they could do about it. None of them dared to speak. They didn't know what to do. They knew there was no hope for her anymore. No one, not even Wendy nor Porlyusica could possibly heal this much damage. It wasn't like they could bring her to them anyway. They've lost all their magical power aswell as their energy from t__he previous fight. _All they could do at the moment was sit beside her, just be with her for the last time.

_"G-guys . . ." Lucy spoke. She couldn't stop her tears from rolling down her face from all the agony she was experiencing. Her head was still intact from her chest to her waist. Her legs and her left arm were the ones that were ripped apart from her._

_"L-Lucy . . . H-hang in there!" Erza told her. She forced herself to believe that Lucy was still going to live even though she knew well that probably won't. "Help will surely be arriving anytime! Just hang in there!"_

_"I . . . I can't. It . . ." Lucy just stared at them, of course it was obvious that she didn't want to tell them about the pain she was going through. She knew that it'll just cause their hearts to break. So she just continued to stare at them. They were all sobbing. Erza had kneeled ext to her while Gray and Natsu was still standing as they stared at her. She raised her right arm which was caught by Erza. Erza gripped her right hand tightly and Lucy did the same._

_"G-guys . . . I . . ." Lucy stared at them for a moment. Then she looked at Natsu. At that point, guilt welled up inside of him. He just knew this was all his fault. If he hadn't left her alone she wouldn't be suffering so much. She was suffering so much, going through all that pain and agony. And yet . . . through all that pain . . . she managed to do what seemed like a simple good bye._

_She smiled._

_Though her tears were still streaming down her face like the rest of them, her cheery smile had still spread across her face. Her team mates looked at her confused on how she managed to give such a smile in the situation that she's in right now. _

_Then her grip on Erza's hand loosened. Her smile faded and you could see in her eyes that it was missing its usual sparkle. Their eyes widened as realization struck them._

_"L-Lucy . . ?" Erza stared at her but the blonde didn't even twitch. She remained motionless._

_"Lucy. Lucy!" Erza shook her repeatedly hoping that she had just lost consciousness, but of course it was just hopeless. _

_Erza gave up and just focused on stopping her tears from falling, the two boys behind her did the same. They knew there was nothing they could do. Natsu stood there a look of disbelief in his face. He just couldn't believe it. _

_She was gone. _

_FLASHBACK END_

After Lucy's little "good bye" the others had appeared. Mainly Makarov, Levy, Mira, Lisanna, Wendy, Happy, and Charle. As expected they were in total shock. Levy and Mira immediately burst into tears while the others stood in shock. Wendy ha offered to try and heal Lucy in hopes that it still wasn't too late. But Erza had her realize that it was hopeless. So Wendy broke down into tears being comforted by Charle who was also weeping a bit. Makarov Lisanna, and Happy were still on shock like Natsu but soon they started crying too.

Everyone in the guild was trying to get over the loss of a faithful comrade. Team Natsu wasn't doing such a good job at it though. None of them felt like going on a job. Happy would always run off not wanting anyone to see him break into tears. There were barely any fights in the guild, and even Erza wouldn't take a bite at any sort of cake.

But they don't just plan on simply moving forward after Lucy was murdered. No, this meant war. Fairy Tail was one of the guilds who were chosen to go to Visne and try to defeat the "7 Sinful Souls". The most powerful group in that kingdom. They are said to be the generals of that kingdom's army and also the king's body guards.

So they were going to go there and avenge their nakama. They'll pay for what they did to Lucy. They were going to avenge her Death no matter what.

**End of First chapter. Please tell me what you think of it.**


	2. A princess?

**Ah, I forgot to tell you guys in the 1st chapter. This fanfic's inspired by the comic "Grim Tales from Down Below" by bleedman. But I didn't get the whole story from that comic. So if you read it, you'll just find some similar scenes in this story. But for this chapter, completely original. It's NOT based on what it was inspired in. **

**You can read Grim Tales at Snafu :) (w w w . s n a f u - c o m i c s . c o m simply remove spaces)**

* * *

Natsu, along with the rest of the guild members who were chosen to fight against Visna traveled to Master Bob's villa, where they'll meet the other guilds who were also chosen by the Council to do the very same task as them. Makarov had chosen Laxus, Gajeel, Wendy, Team Natsu, and Lisanna to be the representatives. While the three Exceeds just decided to tag along.

Makarov had a bad feeling that something bad might happen during the mission, though. It has only been a month ever sine Lucy's death, Team Natsu just wasn't Team Natsu anymore. They really weren't in the proper condition to take a job. But they had really insisted on going. Of course, the master knew of the reason why they had wanted to go so badly. And he really didn't like the idea of having his children risk their lives for vengeance. Even if they did get their revenge on Lucy, it wasn't going to bring the stellar mage back to life. But he had thought that maybe fighting off those damn Visna warriors would help them get over their loss. Anyways, this was just one of those things his children _had _to do. So he's just gonna let them do what they have to do and pray that each one of them comes back safe.

Fairy Tail will be working along with the guilds Sabertooth, Blue Pegasus, and Lamia Scale. Sabertooth had Rogue, Sting, Rufus, Yukino, Minerva and Orga along with the exceeds Frosch and Lector. Blue Pegasus had the trimens, Ichiya, and Jenny Realight. And lastly, Jura, Lyon, Sherry, Shelia, Yuka, and Toby were the representatives for Lamia Scale. So, all-in-all, there were 24 people travelling to Visna to take care of the king and the "7 Sinful Souls", if you don't count the exceeds along that is.

Fairy Tail was the last team to arrive. The representatives for the other three guilds were already there waiting for them, so when they got there, they immediately made their way to the neighbouring country, Visna by riding the Magic Bomber, Christina. All Blue Pegasus members were the ones maneuvering the warship while the others were at the deck. And, as expected, all of the dragon slayers got motion sickness, though Rogue and Laxus went to their rooms to hide themselves. It was simply bad luck that after going through the ride on a carriage, the dragon slayers of Fairy Tail immediately have to suffer through riding the war ship.

"A-are we . . . there y-yet?" Natsu forced the words to come out of his mouth as he willed himself not to throw up.

"H-how much longer?" Sting asked grabbing onto Yukino's hand.

"We're almost there, Sting-sama." she told him.

"Tch. How pathetic." Gray said looking disgustingly at the dragon slayers. Wendy was actually the only one who wasn't affected by motion sickness.

"Wendy . . . please . . . Troia . . . !" Natsu begged.

"No, Natsu. I'm afraid that Wendy can not cast such a spell. We must save as much magic energy as we can." Erza scolded. "We are going to have to face such powerful opponents, after all."

"B-but . . ."

"No."

"Erza! C'mon!"

"No means no, Natsu. Wendy will not cast Trioa on you." Natsu groaned in reply.

Erza sighed. "Honestly . . ." she crossed her arms and stared at the clouds they were passing by as she thought deeply about their mission.

_Lucy . . ._

Erza slightly trembled at the memory of her friend's death. Lucy and her have been like sisters. She can tell Lucy all about her troubles and she would always find a way to make her feel better. Without Lucy things just weren't the same. Erza glanced at Natsu who was still suffering from his dreaded motion sickness since Wendy followed her order to just save her magical energy. Lucy would usually be the one who'd help him deal with his motion sickness. When she was around, at least Natsu wouldn't complain so much.

_Natsu, huh?_

Natsu had been the one who really wanted to go. Well, sure, Gray and herself had also wanted to come along in this mission but surely not as much as Natsu had. For some reason, he was the one who was most affected by all this. Erza and Gray felt the same guilt he did. Their nakama died in front of their eyes and there was nothing they could have done about it. Yet for some reason, the pain they were experiencing for the loss of their team mate just couldn't match Natsu's. He was suffering more than any of them were. Shed more tears than they had. Felt greater guilt than they were. And Erza just couldn't tell why. Well, it was probably because Natsu was the one who was closest to Lucy. He was closer to her than she was to Erza or Levy even. But something inside of her told her that that wasn't the case. Something inside of her told her that there was another reason why Natsu was acting this way. Erza didn't understand why but she felt as if Natsu wasn't feeling loneliness, but regret or guilt. But what did he feel guilty for? That he couldn't do anything for Lucy? That he couldn't prevent her death? Erza doubted that that was the case, for some reason. She just knew- for some reason, she just knew that there was another reason for his actions. Erza just didn't know what was and neither did she know the reason why she was feeling this way. And this has lead to sleepless night of her wondering. Just racking her brain for some answers. And of course, she never found any.

Meanwhile, Gray was having quite similar thoughts as Erza was. He had also sensed that something was wrong with Natsu, but unlike Erza, he didn't make a big deal out of it. He just knew that Natsu was suffering from the death of his best friend. And the guy just needed some time to get over it. And hopefully, after they complete this mission, he'd be back to his old self again. It would be just like what happened with Lisanna. Gray frowned as he glanced at Lisanna who was happily chatting with Happy, completely ignoring Natsu's condition. Only it wasn't completely like Lisanna's case. They had already buried Lucy's body, and there was no way she can come "back from the dead".

"Oi, Gray!" Lyon called out. "What's wrong with you?"

"Huh? Oh. Nothing." he replied. "Just go away, before you ruin my day."

"Eh? Well, you better not be up in the cloud again during a fight. I don't want to end up saving your ass." he mocked and made his way back to where Jura and Sherry was.

"Pshh. You wish!" Gray yelled after him, pumping a fist in the air. Lyon smiled as Gray's mood changed from depression to annoyance. Well, sure Gray might pick a fight with him. But Lyon preferred fighting hi than watch him be all depressed.

Of course, everyone already knew what had become of the celestial mage and why Team Natsu was tagging along. They just didn't want to bring the topic up. But, like the master, they were worried that they weren't exactly in the right condition to be going on a mission. You can see the depression in Gray and Erza's eyes, and slightly in Lisanna and Wendy's. It was likely that there would have also been a hint of depression in the fire mage's eyes if it weren't for his condition in the time being. And Lyon, seeing his former kouhai all depressed, decided to cheer him up a bit without him noticing.

Jura sighed. "This is going to be troublesome."

"I know." Lyon sighed along with him. Sherry simply shook her head.

"Honestly, that guild is such a handful."

Then suddenly, the atmosphere around them changed. The clouds got darker and thickened, and they could all sense a dark and evil aura that started surround Christina and also themselves. Fearing for an ambush, they all took their battle stances. Well, except for Natsu, Gajeel, and Sting that is, who were all too sick to even notice the change in their surroundings.

Then Ichiya appeared before them, along with Hibiki.

"At last~! We are here! Everyone, I welcome you to our neighbouring country! The land of Visna~!" Ichiya announced.

"What's with this atmosphere?" Sherry asked with her sister, Shelia, hiding behind her.

"Ah, well, you see . . ." Hibiki said, gaining their full attention. They stared at him, demanding an explanation. "The country of Visna is known for its daily use of lost and forbidden magic. In other words, they use dark magic very frequently. This caused the country to become cursed and it became surrounded by layers of dark magical power, not only does these layers cause a rather dark aura, but it also prevents anyone who's already inside the country from leaving it or even get close to its borders. Which is pretty much the reason why that country even _has _citizens. Also, it allows mages who uses dark magic to have their magical power be doubled."

"A cursed country?" Sherry repeated.

"But if no one can go outside of its borders, how did the soldiers of this country escape it and attack Fiore?" Erza questioned.

"We don't know that yet." Hibiki answered. "No matter how hard I search, I just can't find their method of how they escaped the country."

"Wait a minute!" Gray called out. "If we don't know how they got out of this place, then how are _we_ going to get out of this place after we finish the mission?"

"We don't know" Hibiki answered honestly.

"WHAT?"

"Only the king knows of a way to escape this place. And that's why we have to accomplish this mission no matter what. Cause if we don't, we will be stuck here, being unable to get out." Hibiki told them, looking a bit uneasy.

"EHH?"

"I have no memory of this!" Rufus said.

"Yeah, no one told us about this!" Lyon protested.

"We should have been informed." Jura spoke.

"I'm sorry, but by the time I found out, we have already arrived." he smiled apologetically.

"Well, guess there's no turning back." Erza sighed.

"We have to succeed in this mission no matter what." Yukino nodded.

"That was our intention from the start wasn't it?" Gray said.

"Well then, we'll be landing." Hibiki informed them.

"Eh? But we're still at a forest." Shelia said, looking below.

"It would be better if we didn't attract any attention. And I doubt that the citizens see a battle ship very often so it's better if we landed on a place where there aren't any towns nearby." The others nodded, understanding.

"Well then, I suppose this is where we'll set up camp?" Erza said as they landed. Hibiki was about to answer when he was cut off by an energetic fire mage.

"WOOHOO!"Natsu jumped off the war ship cheering.

"Ah, we've finally arrived." Sting grumbled, slowly recovering along with Gajeel. Laxus and Rogue had also appeared next to them.

"Alright, the sooner we start the better." Jura announced. "How about half of us set up camp here while the other half go look around."

"Got it! C'mon Happy!" Natsu called out to his blue exceed.

"Aye!"

"Oh, and if you see a town or _anyone_ at that, hide and get back here as soon a possible. Don't attract any attention." Ren warned him.

"We _are_ considered as a threat here so we'll probably get executed when the king finds us." Eve explained, a little uneasy.

"Got it!"

"Alright! Let's go!" Sting said heading towards a different direction than Natsu, followed by Rogue, Lector, and Frosch. Erza, Gray, Laxus, Orga, Yukino, and Lyon also decided to explore the forest along with them while the others set camp and prepared some food to eat.

* * *

Natsu looked around as he started to feel bored since there was nothing to and so far all he's seen in the past few hours were plants. Happy had gotten tired and decided to go back to the others, leaving Natsu wandering the forest all alone.

Natsu looked up at the sky as he got lost in deep thought.

_You're so weak and_ _pathetic!_

Natsu stopped on his tracks. Memories of that horrid day slowly came flooding back to him. He remembered being so mad at her. But now that he thought about it, he felt like a total jerk. How can he say those things to her, his own best friend. How could he have been so cruel? Lisanna was fine, so there had been nothing to be mad about. He started to feel guilty all over again. Like he did every single night after the incident as he remembered it. Especially as he remembered Lucy as her face bore a hurt expression with tears seemingly threatening to fall from her eyes when he was yelling at her. At the time, he was so mad at her that he didn't notice it. But thinking back at it now, had she cried right after he had left her?

"Lucy . . ." he whispered. "I'm sorry."

The he suddenly heard a rustle coming from a bush. He snapped out of his thoughts and readied for battle. He inched towards the bush with a flaming hand. But as he peeked through to see what had made the noise, he was surprised to see a girl. The girl had black messy hair that reached her shoulders and pale skin. Her right eye was covered by her bangs while the other had an eye patch on it. She was wearing an outfit that looked like it was made out of rags. The girl didn't look like she was any taller than Natsu was.

". . . uh . . . you . . . are you alright?" Natsu asked, stepping closer to the girl. Her eyes widened. She got up and she started running away from Natsu.

Natsu was too shocked to even react. But soon after, he snapped out of his thoughts and decided to follow the little girl. She was out of sight but Natsu managed to find her by tracking her scent. Her scent . . .

The scent of blood.

Even though she wasn't covered in any blood, she smelled like it. Natsu followed her scent and it lead him to a huge castle. Natsu spotted the little girl panting, probably because she ran all the way here. He decided to hide behind a bush and observe for the time being.

Suddenly, a tall black haired man approached her. He had the same pale skin she had and his eyes were bloody red. He was wearing a uniform, the kind butlers would usually wear.

"Princess, where have you been wandering off to?" He asked a bit concerned. The little girl just stared at him, not bothering to reply. _So that girl's a princess, huh? _Natsu thought. _Doesn't look like one though._

"Princess, the master's been looking for you." he said. "I think it's a little gift. It might make you reconsider his offer to-"

"No." She deadpanned. "I don't care what kind of _gift _it is! I'm not changing my mind! I'm _never _changing my mind!"

And with that, the girl stormed off towards the castle. _What's her problem? _Natsu thought. Then he remembered their little encounter. She hadn't told the butler about it. Maybe she wasn't planning on telling anyone about it. Well that's good. Because now that he thought about it, it would probably attract some attention if she did tell anyone about their encounter. And Erza would most likely kill him if she found out about this. They had warned him not to catch anyone's attention. Well, guess he's just going to have to make this his own little secret.

The butler had left and followed the little girl. So Natsu decided to go back to where the others were. His mind was racing as he made his way through the forest. Who was that girl? Was she really a princess? If so, was she the princess of Visna? Is that why she had ran away from him? Was it because she recognized him as an opponent? No it can't be. There was no way the girl could have recognized him. He hadn't seen her when the soldiers attacked Magnolia. So there was no way she could have known and recognized him . . . was there? But even if there was, the girl must've seen him as a threat or something. Then why didn't she tell anyone about their encounter? Thinking so much made Natsu's head spin and he was starting to think twice on whether he should tell the others about this or not. They'd probably be able to put two and two together and figure this whole thing out. Oh, why is it that he always manages to get himself into these kind of situations.

"Natsu! Where in Earthland have you been?" Erza shouted as soon as he got back. It was already dark, and they were already eating dinner.

"Ah, well . . . y'know." Natsu shrugged as he started to sweat. "E-exploring."

"You didn't catch anyone's attention, did you?"

"What? Well- I . . . No! But- I -you see, I-"

"You did, didn't you?" Erza glared at the fire mage who was trembling in fear.

"You idiot." Gray appeared behind her. "What did you do?"

"No! Wait- I just-"

"Alright people, we're screwed!" Laxus announced.

"Hold on! Let me explain!" And they did let him. And soon after the explanation . . .

"You _bumped_ into a _princess_?" Gray asked trying to keep his anger in check.

"Well . . . yeah." Natsu replied, earning a punch from Erza.

"You idiot." Gajeel muttered under his breath but Natsu still heard him with his enhanced sense of hearing, but he had decided to ignore the insult for now. His life was being threatened by a red-haired demon, after all.

"A princess?" Hibiki jumped into the conversation just as Erza was about to lunge into the poor fire mage and make him regret ever venturing the forest in the first place. "I never heard of Visna having a princess."

They blinked at him. "What are you saying?" Erza asked, lowering the sword she raised only a moment ago. "All my research has told me so far is that Visna has one king who has 7 body guards-"

"And that would be the 7 Sinful Souls." Jura clarified.

"Yes. And then there's the prince, the future heir of the kingdom. The Queen died giving birth to him." he explained. "But I did find out that the prince now has a fiancee."

"So you bumped into the guy's future wife? Dude, seriously . . ." Sting commented.

"What? Wait, the girl can't be engaged!" Natsu argued.

"What do you mean?" Rogue asked.

"The girl I bumped into was a kid! She looked like she wasn't any older than Wendy!"

There was a silence.

"So . . ." Sting said processing his words like the others were. "The prince of this cursed country is a pedophile?"

"Shut up, Sting." Orga told him.

"What? I'm just stating possibilities here." Sting shrugged as he glanced innocently at his comrade.

"That's sick." Sherry told him.

"_Maybe _that girl was just the fiancee's _sister_." Minerva pointed out.

"_Or _she could just be some rich girl that likes being called a princess." Erza reasoned. There was a sudden silence from Team Natsu, but nobody noticed.

"You guys are just so smart, aren't you?"

"No. You're just so stupid Sting." Minerva retorted.

"_Anyway,_" Hibiki interrupted their argument before it got serious. "We should probably check that place Natsu told us about, just in case."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Well then, for now we should all get some rest and be prepared for what is to come tomorrow." Jura told them. So after finishing their meal, they had a little chat with each other before calling it a day.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed it ^_^**

**RnR !**


	3. Eclipses, Gifts, and a Dream

**CHAPTER THREE!**

**Hope you'll enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: No. I don't own FT.**

* * *

Natsu ran into the forest, following the familiar scent of blood the little girl had the other day. He was followed by Gajeel, Wendy, Erza, Gray, Hibiki, Sting, and Rogue, along with the exceeds. They had decided to check the castle Natsu had been talking about and investigate about it. The others decided to stay and guard the war ship.

It wasn't long before the other dragon slayers had picked up the scent of blood, and they had soon realized that that was the scent Natsu was following. But they decided to to just ask questions later and simply follow the fire mage. Or at least, that was what they had planned on doing. Gajeel doesn't really have patience as one of his traits.

"All right, Salamander! What's with this smell?"

"What smell?" Erza gave Gajeel a questionable look.

"It smells like blood."

"Blood?" They stopped in their tracks and stared at the dragon slayer. "What do you mean?"

"The scent flame-brain's been following is the scent of blood. What the hell's up with that?"

They turned to stare at Natsu, who simply shrugged and went back to tracing the scent of the little girl. "The girl I bumped into yesterday had the scent of blood all over her." He stated simply.

"Woah, woah, hold on a second!" Sting processed what he just said. "So you're telling me that there's a little girl who happened to be a princess of a cursed country and she just happened to smell like blood when she looked perfectly fine when you met her?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

Gajeel face-palmed. "Don't you find that a slightly bit odd?"

"Well, it could have just been some kind of perfume."

"What kind of idiot would even think that?" Sting yelled at him.

"What did you say?"

"Enough!" Erza commanded, and sure enough, they all went silent. "For now, let's just focus on finding that little girl."

They simply nodded and continued tracking the little girl. A little while later, they reached a castle. It doesn't seem to have any guards around, so they sneaked in for a closer look.

"Princess?" they froze. "Princess, are you there?"

Some of them hid behind a bush, but it wasn't so big, so there was no space for Natsu to hide in it.

"Princess?" Panicked, Natsu simply hid behind a tall nearby tree.

"Princess? Is that you?" the voice came again. Natsu recognized the voice as the butler he saw yesterday. It was coming closer and closer to Natsu's hiding spot. Natsu started to panic, he was about to be discovered. They would definitely execute him, just like what Hibiki said. But all he had to do was beat that guy up and get the hell out of there, right? But then, wouldn't Erza kill him for having them be discovered?

"Found you!" the voice said and Natsu froze. But he relaxed when he heard a familiar voice.

"Let go of me! Let go of me, right now!" a little girl screamed. "And stop calling me 'princess'!" Natsu took a peek from his hiding spot and saw that the butler guy had lifted the "princess" up, holding her by her armpits. The little girl was struggling to get away from him, but to no avail.

"But you are one." the man said as she continued to struggle.

"Princess, please stop running off like that." She stopped struggling and scowled at the blonde man.

"Well, will you _please _stop containing me in this prison?"

"How rude, even though our servants work day and night to maintain the castle's cleanliness."

"Cleanliness means nothing if it means misery."

"Tch, why can you not just accept the fact? You're-"

"No!" she screeched. "There's no way that'll happen! NO WAY!"

The man sighed. "Well, until you change your mind, you'll remain in this pitiful condition you're in." And with that, he started carrying her under his arm and went back inside the castle. Natsu and the others slowly left their hiding spots.

"Geez, what's her problem?" Sting wondered out loud.

"I know right?"

"Well, it's confirmed. This is definitely the Visna castle, which means, the king must be somewhere inside." Hibiki informed them.

"How can you tell?"

"That butler just now, he's being controlled."

"Seriously?" they asked in unison.

"Yes, and with a very strong spell that only the king of this country is capable of doing."

"I see . . ." Erza cupped her chin, thinking thoughtfully of the new piece of her information.

"But this doesn't feel right though." Gray said. "I mean, I'm not an expert in these things but I'm pretty sure princesses don't wear rags."

"Well, didn't you hear what that butler said?" Lily asked. "He said: 'until you change you're mind, you'll remain in the pitiful state you're in', or something along those lines."

"Change her mind in what, though." Rogue questioned.

"Who knows?"

"Anyway, All of you should go back. Gray, Hibiki, and I will remain." Erza told them.

"What?" the dragon slayers asked, except for Wendy, not really wanting to miss any of the action.

"We'll just be investigating around the castle, and it will require stealth, which I doubt any of you have." Erza said as Gray smirked.

"Good point." Charle said, she also didn't want Wendy going inside, since it might be really dangerous.

"Aye."

"Wait, what do you mean by that?" Natsu asked, annoyed. He does not really like the fact that Gray would be going on a dangerous mission and he won't, thinking that he was better than the ice freak in everything, even stealth.

"We're good at being stealthy." Sting told her. "Especially Rogue!"

"No way am I missing out in anything!"

"Why? Do you have a problem with it?" Erza gave them a glare, which automatically silenced them. "Now, go back."

They obeyed, and they quickly ran back to their headquarters, not wanting to anger the terrifying equip mage. Erza watched them go, and as soon as they disappeared from her sight, she faced the remaining two men.

"Alright, it will be better if we stick together. At all costs do not wander off on your own. And if we ever get discovered, use all means necessary to get away. Understand?" Erza glared at them, at the two immediately nodded. "Well then, our first concern is how we will get in."

"Well, there has to be some entrance here that doesn't have so many guards." Gray said.

"But then again, this _is _the castle wherein the king is in." Hibiki added. "So that should mean that security must be really tight."

"So then, what do you suggest we do?"

Hibiki shrugged, "Don't look at me." So they both faced Erza who was already racking her brain for any possible ways to enter.

As they waited for her reply, Hibiki decided to investigate the structure of the castle with his archive magic. And soon enough, he found something.

"There's a hidden tunnel." Hibiki informed them.

"What?" the two snapped their heads towards him.

* * *

By the time Erza, Gray and Hibiki got back, the sun had already set and dinner has already been prepared. So as they ate, Erza told them all the information she retrieved from investigating around the castle.

They had found the entrance to a hidden tunnel from the bottom of a well at a clearing nearby. It took them a few minutes to find their way inside the castle. The tunnel leads them to the wine cellar. Thankfully, no one was around. But what was weird was the fact that they barely encountered any servants. It almost seemed as if they were sneaking into an _abandoned _castle.

"It seems that their only concern at the moment is their plans for the war between Visna and Fiore. So it must mean that the so called princess has not told anyone about her encounter with Natsu. So we should be thankful for that. And other than the fact that she doesn't seem to want to be a princess, that's all the information we have about her. But she is indeed a princess, based on how all of the servants have been treating her."

"So, that's that." Lyon said. "There's nothing to worry about anymore."

"Is there anything else?" Jura asked.

"As a matter of fact, yes, there is." Erza smiled. "We found out that in a few days there will be lunar eclipse. And during that time, all the dark magic power in this land will greatly weaken, which means that the king's bodyguards will also weaken. It's part of the curse. And it will also be a great chance to attack."

"A lunar eclipse?" Minerva repeated.

"Yes, that way, we'll be at a huge advantage." Hibiki told them.

"However, they'll start doubling their defences tomorrow because of it. But I think that the mighty Christina will be able to past through it." Erza added.

"Sounds like a plan." Sting said.

"Cristina will surely be able to get through their defences!" Eve said.

"As expected of Erza-san~!" Ichiya added.

"Well, we better get ready then." Laxus told them.

* * *

Meanwhile at the castle, the prince of Visna was drinking a cup of coffee at the balcony, where he has a great view of the country he will someday rule. He watched as his father's soldiers started creating magic barriers and such. Though it will weaken at the time of the lunar eclipse, there was no pain in trying, right?

"Prince Hidenori, all the preparations have been made." His personal maid told him. Hidenori looked at her then he made his way towards the door._  
_

"Was he successful?" the maid nodded.

"Yes, Aeschylus-sama was able to retrieve It." he asked as he made his way through the great hallways.

"No attention was attracted, I presume?"

"Yes, sir, just as you wanted."

He smirked. "And how is our little princess?"

"She ran off earlier this morning, but Sebastian-sama had found her and brought her back."

"Well then, let's see how she'll react to our little gift for her." he smiled evilly. "However, it should have been here yesterday."

"I deeply apologize for the delay." she bowed.

* * *

Natsu sat in front of the fire, deep in thought. The others had already went to sleep, but he just couldn't. It was probably past midnight already.

He had a dream- no, it was more like a nightmare. About Lucy. It started off as a nice dream, an ordinary day at Fairy Tail. Lucy was there, he watched as she started chatting with each other happily. She was smiling, laughing, and having fun like she always did at the guild.

_"Natsu! Let's go on a job together!" Lucy smiled at him. "C'mon!" she said, running out of the guild. As she was outside, the guild doors slammed closed.__  
_

_Natsu quickly ran after her, but as he opened the door, his eyes widened. Buildings were destroyed and on fire. Guild members were fighting with soldiers. Visna soldiers. His heart practically stopped as he realized something. It was just like that time . . ._

_"Lucy!" He called after her. "Lucy! Lucy! Where are you?"  
_

_"Natsu!" he heard her scream. He l__ooked around frantically, running in all directions. "Lucy! Lucy, can you hear me!"_

_"Natsu, help!" he heard her scream again. "Natsu!"_

_He kept running around creaming her name, and he kept hearing her screaming his for help. That is until she found her, lying in a pool of blood. Her blood._

_"Lucy!" Natsu ran to her side and clutched her hand. The same way Erza did while she was dying and he was too stunned to do anything. "Lucy, Lucy!"_

_"Na . . . tsu?" Lucy muttered his name before coughing up blood. "Lucy! Hang in there! Everything's gonna be okay, you hear me?"_

_"Natsu, I . . . I l- . . ." her voice was shaking, and before she could even finish that sentence, she disappeared. She started fading away._

_"Lucy! Don't! Don't leave us! Don't leave your home! Your family!" Natsu yelled. But it was no use, she just kept fading away into nothingness. But before she did, she smiled for the last time._

Natsu had woken up, sweating. It had took him a while before he could catch his breath. His heart was beating so fast. Simply remembering that dream made Natsu want to tear up. So he left the tent he was sleeping in with Gray, Wendy, Happy, Charle and Erza, set up a fire and sat there thinking about that horrid nightmare. He was so deep in thought that he hadn't noticed that he woke up a certain iron dragon slayer.

Gajeel watched as his rival sulked in front of the fire. To be truthful he felt sorry for the guy. Natsu had been really close to Lucy, closer than he was to Levy. And he just didn't know what he'll do if Levy had died like that. But something kept bothering him though.

'_That idiot can't be that dense . . . right?_' Gajeel thought, and he decided that he was going to find out.

"Oi, what are you doing up?" he asked, and Natsu nearly jumped in shock.

"None of your business." he growled in reply.

"It's about bunny-girl, isn't it?" there was a silence, he didn't reply. '_That's a yes._' he thought.

"I'm surprised though, you're taking all this pretty well."

Natsu looked at him confused. "What do you mean?"

Gajeel cocked an eyebrow. "Salamander, what's your relationship with bunny-girl?"

Natsu stared at the fire. "Well, she's my best friend."

There was another silence before Gajeel snorted. "Thought so."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Figure it out yourself, Salamander." was Gajeel's only reply. '_So he is that dense, huh?_'

* * *

**Sorry, it's a bit short.**

**RnR !**


	4. Meet the SSS

**Here is the next chapter!** **Hope you'll enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: No, I do NOT own FT.**

* * *

A little black haired girl lay at bed in a large room, staring at the ceiling. Her plan to escape this hell hole had failed yet again. Curse that Sebastian for always foiling her plans to escape. He's always going on about 'following orders' or the 'request of the king or prince'. It was getting really annoying. Doesn't he get tired of chasing her around all the time? Why doesn't he just give up and let her go? The prince could just find someone else to do be . . . she gets sick just thinking about it. Why did it have to be her? They kept saying she was chosen, that she was special. But what if she doesn't want to be special? What if she just wants to be an ordinary girl? Doesn't anybody care what she thinks? Well, for the short period of time she has spent there, it doesn't seem like it.

But she almost did escape the other day, if only she didn't bump into . . . that person. She had been so scared and confused that she ran back to the castle without thinking. '_I'm such an idiot . . ._' she thought.

She wondered if she ever will be able to escape. Will she be locked away in this castle forever? Forced to be with that cruel and evil prince and his much more evil father? And most of all, would she be forced to accept the prince and his offer? Will she never be able to see the people she loves the most, especially . . . _him_. She missed them so much, despite the terrible memories she's had with them. Tears started to form in the corner of her eyes. But she blinked them away when she heard a knock at the door.

"Adora-chan?" a female voice called for her.

"Addei-san?" Adora asked.

The door opened and a pretty, mature-looking woman with long wavy purple hair and bloody red eyes entered. She wore a dark blue dress that reached her knees and high heeled black boots. Normally she would wear more formal attire, but the king had ordered her to stop wearing such clothes because it was hard to fight in them.

Addei was part of the SSS or the Seven Sinful Souls, the king's body guards.

The Seven Sinful Souls represent the Seven Deadly Sins. Addei represents Pride, Aeschylus represents Envy, Mia represents Greed, Galan represents Sloth, Kiyomi represents lust, Hyosuke represents Wrath, and finally, Kazuki represents Gluttony. They all match with what they represent very much, which means Addei has a very high self-esteem. But they get along, nonetheless. In fact, she got along with all seven of them. But not with all the other servants, nor with the king or prince.

"Adora-chan, I heard you tried to sneak out again, yesterday." Addei said, entering the room. she only grumbled.

"Yeah well, Sebastian stopped me," she told her. "Again."

Addei sighed. "Adora-chan, you should know by now that it's hopeless. You've got to accept your fate."

"No." She dead-panned. "Why can't any of you accept the fact that I'm not accepting such a fate which is forced upon me?"

"You really are hopeless." the woman shook her head. "Just be thankful. The situation you're in right now could be worse."

Adora was silent as she silently remembered her terrible past. But before her tears could fall, Addei unintentionally stopped them.

"Think about it, Adora!" she told her. "The prince will give you anything! Fame, fortune, power! And all you'll have to do is agree! Just say yes!"

"But he can't give me happiness." she retorted.

"Yes he can!"

"Money can't _buy_ happiness!" Adora told her. getting a little annoyed.

"Alright, fine. It can't. _B__ut!_ Wouldn't you rather _cry _in a _mansion_?" At this, the little girl groaned. "A castle even?"

"Tears are tears, Addei. And you can't change that."

"I told you to add a honorific to my name!" she scolded her, since Adora forgot to add '-san'.

"I thought I was a princess!"

"That has nothing to do with this!" the little girl groaned once again.

"Say what you want, I'm not changing my mind." she said as she laid face down on the bed.

Addei suddenly realized something. She was supposed to urge her to accept. But now, she just made the little girl upset. Oh, what was she going to do?

'_Shit!_' she thought, thinking of a way to turn the tables.

"Psst! Addei!" she heard a whisper and turned to the door to see Kiyomi and Mia, lust and greed. She tiptoed outside the room to talk to them.

Kiyomi was a pretty girl with long light blue hair and the same bloody red eyes she had. She wore nothing but a robe and slippers. Mia, on the other hand, was a small girl with blonde hair that was tied up into a pony tail and bloody red eyes. She wore a long and beautiful sundress with high heels and several jewelleries. The SSS only had three girls and the other four were guys. The only thing they all had in common was that they all had red eyes and were all above 20 years of age.

"So? How's the princess?" Kiyomi asked, but she shook her head and the two groaned.

"She didn't even think twice about it?" Mia asked.

"No, it really looks like she has no plan in changing her mind." Addei told them.

"Well you have to try again, Addie!" Kiyomi encouraged her.

"Don't call me that! It's Addei! _Addei_!" she scolded her as the blue haired girl just pouted.

"Don't think about unnecessary things right now, Addie!" Kiyomi stuck her tongue out.

"Yeah! Eyes on the prize!" Mia said.

'_I wonder if they realize that I can hear every word they're saying._' Adora thought to herself as she continued to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Addei! Go back in there and try _again_." she heard Mia say.

"I'm telling you, she's not gonna change her mind!" Addei told her.

"Before you quit, try!" Kiyomi said.

"I already tried, dammit!"

"Like I said, try again!" Mia's voice had the hint of annoyance.

"Oh yeah? Why don't you try changing her mind?"

"Fine I think I will!"

"Go on!"

"I will!"

"I'm waiting."

"Well then, here I go!" Mia immediately barged in the room.

"Adora! Whether you like it or not you have to say yes!" she blurted out.

"That's your way of persuading her?" a vein popped out of Addei's head.

"Oh yeah? Why?" Adora cocked an eyebrow at them.

"Because!" Kiyomi said entering the room.

"Oh, now you guys are taking Addei's side?"

"Well, just think about it will you?" Mia said. "He'll give you everything! Servants, clothes, land, castles, jewels, food, money, power!"

"Well, you can't have any men. But all the other things work too!" Kiyomi told her.

"And who knows? Maybe you'll even get a kingdom!"

"Yeah, right, after we take over Fiore." Addei told her.

"Oh, you guys really believe that it will be a success?" Adora asked them, then a tall man with spiky red hair and bloody red eyes barged into the room destroying the door. He wore a dark red t-shirt with a black leather jacket, black pants, and boots.

"You bet we are! I am gonna kick some ass there!" he said. The man was Hyosuke, wrath. "We're going to claim that country in the name of Visna!"

"Hyosuke-san! You destroyed the door! Now how am I supposed to lock you guys out?" Adora complained, but before she could continue . . .

"Hey, princess!" Kazuki entered the room with Galan and Aeschylus. They were Gluttony, Sloth, and Envy. Kazuki was a man who was a bit too short for his age. He had spiky dark brown hair. He wore and orange t-shirt, brown shorts, a white apron and brown boots. Galan, on the other hand, was a really tall and with silver hair that was down. He wore a baggy plain white t-shirt and baggy black pants and shoes. And Aeschylus was also a bit too short for his age, but was still taller than Kazuki. He had green spiky hair with long bangs and red eyes, though it sometimes glowed green when it was covered with his bangs.

"Princess, I've made some cookies for you." Kazuki told her.

"He never made me cookies." Aeschylus muttered.

"I'm so tired. Your room was so far away." Galan said collapsing into the floor.

Adora was stared at them for a moment. They were making such a huge ruckus. But she had her eye on something else. "Are those chocolate chips?" She asked pointing at the cookies on the tray Kazuki was holding.

There was a silence.

"Yes, would you want some?" Kazuki handed her the tray.

"Oh, sure." they said as they all crowded to Kazuki, wanting some cookies. Even Galan stood up to get some for himself.

"So, what were you guys talking about?" Hyosuke asked, eating Kazuki's cookies.

"It's about the offer." Mia told him.

"Yes, the prince's proposal." Addei told him.

"Oh, well have you changed your mind yet?" he asked Adora.

"Of course not." she answered.

"You know, you're so lucky." Aeschylus told her.

"See?" they said, except for Galan who was asleep.

"Guys please, do I have to repeat myself?" she asked.

"He's right. This is a very big decision she has to make." Kiyomi said.

"We know." Addei stood up. "Adora, we just want you to think about it!"

"You don't have to be grown up nor do you have to be a genius to think twice about that kind of thing. Only an idiot would do it." Adora said.

"Actually only an idiot _wouldn't _do it." Mia told her.

"See?" they said once again.

Adora just rolled her eyes. "By the way, aren't you guys the king's bodyguards?"

"Yeah, shouldn't you already know that?" Addei scoffed.

"Then what are you guys doing _here_ when you should be beside the _king_ guarding him?"

"Oh, well, this morning he suddenly shrieked for some reason and then said something about not taking it anymore and then he told us to leave him alone." Hyosuke told her. Adora sweat dropped.

"Huh? What?" he asked as he noticed the way she was looking at her.

"N-nothing."

"So, your changing you're mind?"

"No."

"Adora-chan~!" Kiyomi whined.

"Guys, you don't understand!" Adora said, almost in the verge of tears.

"Yes we do!" Addei told her. "It's because of him, isn't it?"

Adora stared at her; hurt filled her eyes as she stared at the older woman in front of her. The room was filled with silence, even Galan had woken up.

"You're still dreaming?" Hyosuke asked her.

"It's only been a while, but . . ." Aeschylus said, avoiding eye contact. They may be merciless and evil to most people, but they're very different to Adora. They treat her like their little sister.

"You should stop waiting." Mia told her.

"Stop giving yourself false hope." Kazuki said.

"Adora-chan, he's not coming." Addei told her, straight out. She felt anger build up inside of her and she stormed off the room. The others stared at her as she left.

"Someone had to tell her." Galan said.

Addei groaned. "Why did it have to be me?"

"Because!" Kiyomi said.

"Could you stop saying 'because' and give pe ople a real reason?"

"Look, we all didn't want to break the news to her and, well . . . break her heart." Hyosuke told her.

"I like it better when we didn't care about other people and we were just plain merciless." Addei sighed.

"Yeah, we're getting soft." Mia told them.

"Well then, who's gonna go cheer her up?"

"I'm the one who made her cry, so I can't comfort her." Addei told them.

"Why don't we just leave her alone for a while?" Kiyomi suggested and silence filled the room.

* * *

Adora ran down the halls and into the indoor garden. The plants there were beautiful but they were also poisonous, so she kept her distance. She stood there observing the plants as she remembered what Addei had told her.

_He's not coming._

Tears started to form in her eyes again but now, there was no one to stop them, intentionally or unintentionally.

"You're wrong." she whispered to no one in particular. "He's going to come."

Tears rolled down to her cheek from her one eye. She lifted her hand and touched the eye patch covering her other eye as memories came flooding back to her. They were sad, painful, and horrible memories at first. But then she started remembering wonderful memories. Memories of her life, when she was happy and didn't have a care in the world.

"He's going to come and save me. I know it!" she whispered as she started sobbing.

* * *

**Yeah, I know, it pretty much doesn't make any sense doesn't it? But don't worry, all answers will be answered in future chapters.**

**Anyway, in this chapter, The Seven Sinful Souls were introduced. I know they don't sound that bad, but you can't judge a book by it's cover. I think it says somewhere in there that they're only like this to Adora. They treat her like a little sister. That's all!**

**RnR !**


	5. Revelations

**Well, Chapter five people! I hope you guys have enjoyed it so far!**

**This chapter has some foul language by the way.**

**And now please enjoy yet another chapter.**

**Disclaimer: FT is Hiro Mashima's work. Not mine.**

* * *

Out of the blue, Natsu suddenly sneezed while he was arguing with Gray.

"Bless you." Yukino said.

"Thank you." Natsu sniffed.

"If you suddenly sneeze out of the blue, it means that someone's talking about you behind your back." Minerva informed him.

"Huh, probably just someone back at the guild." he sniffed again.

"They're probably thinking about how you'll mess this mission up." Gray said.

"Say that again, Popsicle!"

"What did you call me, Droopy-eyes?"

"You heard me, Squity-eyes!"

"Oi. why don't the both of you stop fighting and start helping, already!" Erza commanded.

"A-aye!" they said, trembling. Erza glared at them for another second before continuing to sharpen her sword. Minerva stared at them for a moment sweat dropping.

"Are they always like this?" she asked Happy who was munching on some fish.

"Aye! That's Natsu for you!" Happy answered, she stared at the blue cat. She didn't really think that being weird was something to be proud of.

"What a peculiar bunch." Minerva sighed.

Meanwhile, the other dragon slayers, except for Wendy stared at the fire mage.

"Seriously?" Laxus asked Gajeel, in disbelief. "He's _that_ dense?"

"Yep." he only nodded.

"Wow." that was the only thing Sting could say.

"I can't believe he's that foolish." Rogue said.

"I know, right." Gajeel said. "He still hasn't noticed."

"But, shouldn't that be a good thing?" Sting asked, feeling a bit uneasy. None of them had notice a certain requip mage approaching them. She had noticed them watching Natsu and she unconsciously started eavesdropping on their conversation.

Gajeel frowned. "Well, yeah, I guess."

"It would have been a disaster if he realized it earlier." Laxus crossed his arms. Erza cocked an eyebrow in confusion.

"I bet it would have been complete chaos." Sting chuckled in amusement.

"Well, I suppose we should be thankful for that." Rogue shrugged.

"Okay, give up." Erza suddenly popped out of nowhere which made the for men flinch.

"Where the hell did you come from?" Gajeel glared at the woman.

"That is not important at the time being. I just want to know what you were talking about." Erza said with a serious expression.

"Well, this is a rather personal matter." Sting said and walked away.

Rogue stared at Erza then at Gajeel. "We'll let you explain the situation to Titania." and with that, he followed his team mate.

Erza then started to glare at Gajeel and Laxus. Until Laxus shrugged and said "This is none of my business so I'll be leaving."

Gajeel stared at Laxus in shock as he left him to face the red-haired demon. '_I can't believe it! He's trying to escape?_' he screamed in his mind. Erza didn't seem to mind the lightning mage's absence and turned her full attention to Gajeel.

The iron dragon slayer felt a shiver run down his spine as the mighty Titania gave him one of her murderous glares. It seemed like she really wanted to know what they were talking about. Why was she so curious anyway? Aren't these kinds of things none of her business?

"Well, Gajeel?"

"Huh? Well . . ." he sighed, it won't hurt if he told _one _person, right? "It's about Lucy." he said, using the girl's actual name than the nickname he had given her.

Erza's expression turned into deathly serious into a mixture of shock and hurt. Nobody has brought up a conversation about the celestial mage ever since that incident. Sure, she was always in their minds. But nobody would dare talk about her. It had been complete silence in the guild at the day of her funeral. The only sounds you could hear in the guild that day was the sounds of cries, sobs, and words of comfort. Erza held her tears and tried her best not to break down. She had to be strong. It was for her sake and her team mates'. Besides, they were doing this for her. Erza returned her attention back to the man in front of her. But she failed to hide her discomfort.

"L-Lucy? . . . " Erza stuttered and she was speechless for a moment. "Wh-what about her?"

"Well, ya see . . ." Gajeel tried to find the right words he can use.

"I thought you were talking about Natsu."

"Well, yeah, we were."

"Than what does it have to do with Lucy?"

"It's-"

"Why were you talking about some disaster?"

"That's-"

"Does it have something to do with being a dragon slayer?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Then what does it have to do with Lucy?"

"Well-"

"If you still don't know, she's a celestial mage. So what's her connection it it?"

"Oh, for the love of- ONE AT A TIME, DAMMIT!" Gajeel snapped. "I can't answer all your questions at once. Erza was taken back at the sudden outburst. But then she nodded and waited for the explanation she demanded. Gajeel sighed and started to calm down.

"Okay then, well you see, we were just talking about how dense that moron is." he said pointing at Natsu. Erza cocked an eyebrow at him.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, it's because, without knowing it, Salamander had chosen a mate. You know, like a wife or something. And the _lucky _woman happens to be bunny-girl." Gajeel explained. He watched in amusement as Erza's eyes widened in shock.

"WHAT?" she shrieked.

* * *

Sting and Rogue, along with their fateful exceeds watched in amusement as Titania grabbed Gajeel's shoulders and started shaking him, demanding for an answer to what he meant.

"Good thing we left." Sting chuckled as Erza equipped one of her swords and started waving it around Gajeel's face.

"Yes," Rogue nodded. "That was a smart decision."

* * *

"What do you mean by that? How ccould this happen? ANSWER ME, DAMMIT!" Erza was utterly confused that she had immediately resorted to violence.

"WILL YOU CALM DOWN!" Gajeel crawled to a safe distance where he was sure that the demon's sword wouldn't reach her.

"Can the both of you _please _stop yelling at each other?" Minerva was getting really annoyed. "Honestly, such a noisy bunch."

The two of them stared at young woman for a moment before continuing where they had left off. She grabbed him by the collar and glared t him. "What do you mean by that? Lucy? His wife? That's impossible!" Erza said, between clenched teeth. "Lucy . . . she's . . ."

"I know, I know. Look, let me explain." he said and her grip loosened. "At a certain period of their lives, dragon slayers choose their mate. A wife as most would put it. They choose their mate and will be with them for the rest of their lives. It's the same no matter what generation that dragon slayer is. But for some strange reason, that idiot hasn't realized that he has already chosen a mate. And that mate is Lucy. But now, it's too late."

" . . . what?" Erza's expression softened. She was getting even more confused, and Gajeel's explanation wasn't quite helping. "Wait how do you know that it's Lucy? Maybe it's Lisanna."

Gajeel scoffed. "Salamander may be an idiot to mistaken that white-haired girl for his mate, but I can totally see that his true mate is bunny-girl."

"How?"

"Well, for one thing, when she was still alive, his instincts would always turn to her." Gajeel explained. Erza was confused by his statement, and he noticed that so he enlightened it for her. "Did you notice that whenever he was thinking of going on a mission, he'd _always _ask bunny girl _first_ to come with him before inviting anyone else? Or when he was planning on going fishing with his cat, he'll ask _her_ and _not _Lisanna? Or even when he comes to the guild every morning and he'll immediately notice if she's still not around?"

Erza's eyes widened. "Or when he's going home, instead of going to _his _house, he'll head to Lucy's apartment instead!"

"He did that?"

"Yeah."

Gajeel's eyes widened at the new piece of information that was given to him. Was she serious? Salamander really did that? He knew they were best friends but there really should be limits. But he shook the thought off and continued explaining to the S-class mage. "Well, other than that, I think the whole guild already knows that those two shared a really strong bond with each other. A bond that's even stronger than what Natsu had with Mira's little sister. You guys just didn't know _how _strong that bond is. Plus, he tried his best to be beside her at all times, and he was very protective of her. Just the thing a dragon would do to his mate. But he doesn't know that he has chosen her. The idiot thinks he's doing that coz she's his best friend or something, and we should be thankful for that."

"Why?"

The iron dragon slayers expression darkened. "If he knew, he would have lost it. Kinda like when he gets really mad whenever he's fighting someone, but worse. He'll be overtaken by grief and anger and loose control. And it'll pretty much be chaos."

Erza was speechless, she knew Natsu. Whenever he gets really mad or serious during a fight, his magical power would rise to a level that surpasses hers, maybe even Gildarts. So if the fire mage had realized sooner, he would have gone berserk with that much magical power? She couldn't believe what she was about say but . . .

"Thank God, he's an idiot."

Gajeel snorted. "I know, right?"

"But, we can't keep this from him." Erza told him. "Natsu has the right to know. He just _has _to know."

"Look, we should just let him figure it out by himself." he sighed and started walking away, but before that, he whispered one last thing to her.

"The only thing that can prevent such chaos from happening for now is either if he dies in this mission or if he finds someone else before he realizes his feelings for her. Let's just hope it'll be the latter."

Erza took the time to think about it all. Everything Gajeel said, everything that she just heard from him, it all made sense. And maybe that was the reason Natsu was the one who was most affected by that incident. Erza glanced at Natsu who was happily chatting with Happy. Should she tell him? Like she said, he has the right to know. But what if he goes berserk? He'll endanger the entire mission. But Natsu's not like that. He's well aware how important this mission is.

One more glance at Natsu and Erza made up her mind. She's going to follow Gajeel's advice. She's just going to have to let him figure it all out on his own. And when that happens, she'll just have to hope he'd already found someone else at that time.

"God, Natsu . . ."Erza muttered under her breath. "You're such an idiot."

Then Natsu suddenly sneezed again, for the second time that day.

* * *

Sebastian carried Adora under his arm and walked down the halls. She decided not to bother struggling, since it'll be pointless, anyway. Sebastian won't let her go no matter how much she'd beg him to. Neither will his grip loosen no matter how much she would struggle. So it'll just be an waste of effort.

"Okay, I'm letting you carry me around like this, so can you tell me where you're taking me _this time_." Adora asked him.

"The laboratory." Sebastian didn't even bother to look at her. She was aware of that place. It was where they work on different kinds of black magic. Where they experiment on human body parts and even try to make life with magic. A lot of people said it was impossible, but to these people, nothing is impossible with their magic. Adora was one of the few people who knew about the possibilities with their magic. It was amazing. But of course, there was always a condition. It was either a body part or a life. But none of them cared what the sacrifice was. They'd kill some innocent civilians and use them as a sacrifice. Honestly, they were so despicable.

"Well, well, how are you enjoying your stay, _princess_?" Prince Hidenori smirked at her. She just scowled at him. Sebastian and Adora arrived at the laboratory. It was a rather large room with shelves at every corner and tables that were covered in pieces of cloth were in the middle of it. The shelves were filled with jars, half of them was filled with human organs, while the other half was filled with different kinds of liquid and a bunch of other things, she doesn't and may never know what those things are. Hooded figures were usually working around, but there was only one of them in the room, and he was standing right next to the prince.

"It's been hell."

"How rude." he voice was filled with sarcasm. "No matter, I have something for you. It's a certain gift."

"Not like it'll help change my mind." Adora crossed her arms and glared at the man.

"Oh, I think it will."

"Well, you thought wrong." she said. Adora really despised the prince. More than she despised the king. The guy was an asshole, and no, she wasn't '_too young to be using such foul language_'. Since the prince was the one who was forcing such a terrible fate upon her. He kept her prisoner in this damned country. Hell, he kept her prisoner in this god forsaken castle! She wasn't even allowed to take one step outside of it. She would always be able find some way to escape, though. This bastard would always make Sebastian go after her and drag her back here. Who the hell did he think he is?

Well, he _was_ the heir of an entire country.

"Oh, did I?"

"You did.'Cause there is no way, I repeat _no way_ you can change my mind. Believe me, your dad's bodyguards have already tried."

"Ah, well, they didn't have a good reason why you should accept."

"Oh, and you do?" she scoffed.

"I believe so." Hidenori snapped his fingers and the hooded man beside him approached the table and pulled the cloth off, to reveal what was underneath it.

Adora's eyes widened.

Underneath that thin blanket was a body. A body, it was a dead body of a human being. It's body parts had been torn apart, along with the blood stained clothes that person was wearing. One of her chocolate brown eyes was even missing. The person's blonde hair was messy and had dirt all over it, the clothes were dirty with it skin was very pale, but it hadn't started decaying yet, nor did it have that horrible scent. It didn't even have the stench of blood. It was as if that person had just died, even though that person had already died a month ago.

That was the body of a certain celestial mage of Fairy Tail.

"I pitied you for being in such a small and fragile body, so I brought you this one." the prince explained. "Though it took us a while to stop it from decaying and have it return to its usual pale skin."

Adora was speechless. She just stared at the body in horror.

"What?" Hidenori smirked. "No 'thank you'?"

She started trembling, which didn't go unnoticed by the prince.

"My, my, I thought you'd be happy. After all wouldn't you prefer being in this body more than being in that of a child's, Adora?" he leaned to her ear and whispered.

"Or should I say, Lucy Heartphilia?"

He stood straight and she was still shaking. "What? Have you gotten used to being called 'Adora' so much?"

The prince walked out of the room, along with Sebastian and the hooded man. When she no longer sensed their presence in the room nor hear their footsteps in the hallway, her knees suddenly weakened and she collapsed to the floor. Tears were already leaking out of her eyes.

She had never thought, ever since she came here, that someone would ever call her by that name ever again.

* * *

**Well, I guess that answers one of your questions. Hopefully, the rest will be answered in the next chapter!**

**Hoped you guys liked it.**

**Please review!**


	6. What happened

**Well, I like to congratulate everyone who had figured it out. **

**ABCMECBA, Wasabi-kun, & GoldenRoseLuceTanya.**

**For all the others, your questions should be answered in this chapter.**

**Tnx for the reviews everyone!**

* * *

Lucy sat near on the floor, near the table where her body was. She continued to tremble as silent tears made its way down her eyes and freely made lines on her face. All those terrible memories, once again, came flooding back to her. She only realized then what a big mistake she had done. That all of this was happening because of her. All of her guilt and sadness caused her to break down.

She stood up and stared at the lifeless body before her, tears still running down her cheeks. This was what she looked like that time? Her friends saw her in this state? It must have been painful for them. And at a little voice at the back of her mind kept telling her that her body's state last month was much worse than the state it was in right now. That her friends have seen her in a much more terrible state than she could see her own body in right now. She kept telling herself to think positively. That at least she had been able to say good bye. But despite that fact, she missed them dearly.

She started to sob openly now. As she remembered what happened just last month. When Natsu left her there, alone, with a broken heart.

FLASHBACK

_Lucy couldn't believe what had just happened. Did he really say that? Did her best friend, partner, and her closest nakama really say those words to her? Tears slowly made their way down her cheeks. She didn't mean to be a burden. So he didn't have to be so harsh. His words had pierced through her heart and she could no longer stop her tears from falling. Tears that have wanted to be shed for months._

_She had loved Natsu for a long time. Ever since he saved her from the Phantom Lord attack. After he caught her after she jumped off the building, and then cheer her up and made her stay when she had suggested to leave. Even when Erza, Gray, Happy, and him went after her after they thought that she was leaing the guild when she was just going to confront her father. Through time, her feelings for the fire mage grew stronger. _

_Until _she _came._

_Natsu spent quite a lot of time with Lisanna. Almost as much as he did with her. But Lucy couldn't help but feel jealous. Every time she saw them together, a little piece of her heart broke. Of course, she couldn't do anything. She knew she was nothing but Natsu's best friend. Nothing more. That's just how he sees her. And Lucy couldn't do anything about it. But despite the pain she felt almost every day, she tried very hard not to let it show. She was angry at Lisanna, but she knew she can't hate her. The girl didn't do anything wrong. But still, the hatred towards the youngest Take-Over mage was still there. Lucy just wouldn't admit it, not even to herself._

_Days, weeks, and even months passed, and no one even had the slightest clue of the pain that hid behind her smiles every day. Natsu still spent some time with her, of course. And Lucy treasured every moment of it. She enjoyed being with Natsu all the time. She just hated it when he was spending some time with _her_. She wanted. him. She wanted him all to herself. She wanted to be his. Every day, she felt greed and jealousy well up inside of her. And she knew she can't do anything about it. She _chose _not to do anything about it. Because her thoughts were all so selfish, and she knew that. Her mind had always been filled with the possibility that Natsu liked Lisanna so much that she had already come to the conclusion that that just may be the case. _

_She tried, oh how she tried so hard to get over her feelings for him. But she knew she couldn't. She didn't want anybody else. She didn't want Gray, nor Loke, not even Hibiki. She wanted Natsu. Her Natsu. The one who would laugh everything off no matter how much trouble they were already in. The one who would rescue her whenever she was in danger. The one who she knew would always be there for her, through thick and thin. Even though she thought he can never be hers, he would always be there for her. _

_So she ignored her pain. All of her emotions. Hurt, anger, greed, lust, jealousy. She threw them aside, just so he can be with him. She kept telling herself that it was okay even if they remained friends. It was okay even if Lisanna takes him from her. As long as she can always see that stupid grin on his face. As long as he was happy, so was she. And she would always be able to withstand the pain, as long as he was content. _

_Or at least, that's what she thought._

_After Natsu's outburst, he had probably confirmed that he liked Lisanna. So Lucy was officially heart broken. She had never imagined it to be this painful. The pain from the past few months could never compare to what she felt right then. The thought of her one true loved loving someone else and the fact that her best friend was mad at her. It was all too much._

_She felt so many emotions right now. Mostly sadness, pain, jealousy and anger. Her sadness and pain was because of her rejection. And her jealousy and anger was caused by a certain white haired girl. She could no longer deny her hatred towards her, as Lucy continually sobbed openly._

_"WHY COULDN'T SHE HAVE JUST DIED?" Lucy yelled at herself. But she gasped and covered her mouth as she realized what she just said. _

_Then she suddenly heard someone clap from behind her. The man they were fighting. The man with black hair and red eyes that now seemed as if they were glowing. He approached her. At the moment, Lucy was still too shocked at both her sudden outburst and his sudden arrival to do anything. She just stared at him with wide eyes. _

_"Lucy Heartphilia." he called out to her. She seemed to be able to snap out of it. So she stood up and backed away from him. "It's nice to meet you."_

_Lucy's eyes widened and she stared at him in confusion and stopped retreating away from him. How did he know her name? She barely even noticed that he had started to come near her, until he was right in front of her and she wasn't even bothered by it._

_"Wh-who are you? How did you know my name?" _

_"Ah, my apologies, I didn't have the chance to introduce myself properly, have I?" he bowed. "I am Prince Hidenori, heir to the kingdom of Visna."_

_"Th-the Prince of Visna!" Lucy started backing away from him again._

_"Yes, that's right." he smiled wickedly at her before grabbing her wrist and pulling her towards him. Lucy squeaked in surprise as he wrapped one hand around her waist and the other one was holding her hand tightly. "Now, I have a little proposition for you."_

_"P-proposition?"_

_"Yes. You see, you seem very special. Mostly because of your anger."_

_"Wh-what anger?" she asked, confused and nervous. He leaned his face near hers and Lucy blushed. She tried to get out of the man's grasp but it was to no avail.  
_

_"You can't hide it from me." he said. "That white haired girl. You hate her don't you?"_

_Lucy stopped struggling and stared at the man. How did he . . ?_

_"All that anger and hatred locked up inside of you . . . " he smirked. "Building up and almost ready to burst. Yet you are still unable to let it all out. You_ choose _not to let it out._"

_Lucy felt as if she was hypnotized by his bloody red eyes that were so mesmerizing. "What if I could give you a chance to get revenge for all the pain you are experiencing right now? I can grant each and every one of your wishes. That, and so much more."_

_Greed took over Lucy as she imagined all the possibilities of what he could possibly give her. He was a prince. Heir to a kingdom. The possibilities were endless._

_"I only ask for one thing . . ." he said and whispered something to her ear. Her eyes had widened and everything went black_

FLASHBACK END

After that, and the death in front of her friends, she had found herself in this castle. She had been surrounded by the prince, Sebastian, The SSS, several hooded figures, and even the king himself.

Before she supposedly _died_, the prince had taken one of her eyeballs. Apparently, the saying_ 'the eyes are windows to the soul'_ are true in more than one sense. It seems that an eye is the symbol for one's soul. And one eye was enough for them to break a certain law of magic.

They resurrected her.

In the process, they had to kill an innocent child so they can use the body to put her soul in it. That was one of the reasons why she despised them. They were pure evil. They'd certainly do anything to get what they wanted. She also felt really guilty, since she thought it was her fault that such a young child died.

After killing the girl with euthanasia, they did a ritual. By replacing one of the little girl's eyes with hers, they had also placed her soul into the little girl's body.

_"If you're going to act like an innocent little girl, you might as well look like one." _Hidenori said before walking out of the room with the king and Sebastian, laughing.

The SSS members stayed and got to know her better while the hooded men continued to examine her. That was how she managed to get along with them while she despised the others. At least they cared for her and showed their concern. While the other three were a bunch of selfish bastards. Unlike the SSS, they would always cheer her up when she was feeling down and prevent her tears from falling. Even if they do it unintentionally sometimes.

After getting to know each and every one of them, they named her 'Adora'. Since they found out about her past and thought that giving her a new name would help her get over it. But ever since she was resurrected, they kept bugging her to accept the princes offer. She found out that the only purpose of her new nick name was because of the king's orders. Looks like they didn't want anybody else to know that they were treating a girl from a rival country like a princess. She heard that it might ruin the country's image. Apparently, they thought that she would say yes immediately and didn't think that she would mind. Well, she didn't mind, but she didn't accept the offer, either. So, when she was alone with the prince in the garden one time, he tried to persuade her with the same sweet words that got her greed overcome her. Unfortunately for them, it didn't work for a second time.

Too bad for the SSS though, they were really looking forward to her being one of them. It's not every day that they get a new general in the army. And it had been such a let-down for them when they found out that Lucy was going to refuse. Looks like they really want to be with her and spend more time with her. They said she seemed really fun and interesting. But the only way for that to happen is if she accepted. Which will never happen in a million years. She had begged them to take her home. They pitied her, but unfortunately, they had no power to do that. They were also prisoners to the country, as much as she was. So they started focusing on persuading her like what the prince was doing. They weren't making any progress though.

Lucy couldn't deny the fact that she had been selfish and greedy to have wanted to accept it at first. Those two emotions have overcome her when he first heard his voice that told her what he could give her. But after hearing what was the condition for all that, what he wanted in exchange, she definitely had to deny. It was too big, and she was sure that it won't be worth it. Sure, she would also receive a great deal of magical power. They'll give her power as strong as that of a Wizard Saint. And heck, she'll be the leader of the SSS. Well, she won't be a part of it, much like what Blue note was to the 7 Kin of Purgatory. She won't be a damsel in distress anymore. She'd be able to take care of herself. She won't need anyone anymore. Not even _him._

But she knew if she accepted it, she would soon regret it. She just knew she would. So no matter what they do, they couldn't change her mind. Even if they did somehow manage to put her back to her original body. She would rather be a child for all eternity than to accept the prince's offer. But she knew she wouldn't have to.

Lucy stopped crying, but she continued to stare at her body. She wiped off her remaining tears and went back to her room. Her door was fixed now, so she locked it and jump into the bed and buried her head into the mountain of pillows.

She wasn't going to stay here for any longer. She wasn't going to be imprisoned for any longer. She knew he was going to come. Just like he always did when she was in trouble. He was coming to rescue her. She just knew it.

_Natsu . . ._

Simply thinking of his name made her smile. Thinking of her fist love, it alone brightened her day. Sure, he had been so mad at her the last time, during the night of that incident. But she knew he had already forgiven her. After all, what had happened a few days ago . . .

_Lucy . . . I'm sorry._

She was so shocked, and confused. She honestly wasn't able to think straight. So instead of running to him and hug him because she missed him so much, she did the opposite. She ran away from him. Her best friend, her first love, her closest nakama. She still couldn't believe she blew that chance. But she was still happy that she got to see his face and confirm her theory. That e will come and rescue her and take her away from this place. And he did. He actually came. Why he came to this country, she didn't know. Because he obviously didn't know that she was resurrected.

But, he was coming. Maybe even with her other friends. Mira, Gray, Erza, Levy, Juvia and maybe even all of her spirits. And after they all find out that she was alive, they'll definitely take her home. She didn't care if she would never be able to get back to her normal body. She just wanted to go back to her friends. Her family. Her fellow nakama. Oh, how she missed them so much. Although she wished they had tried a little harder to hide their presence. She had to cover for them three times already. Once when she ran away from Natsu, Sebastian had been planning on venturing the forest because he sensed her distress that time. Well, she would admit that it was her fault that time. The second was when they sneaked in with the dragon slayers. She purposely let Sebastian find her so that he won't find Natsu. And the third time was when it was only Erza, Gray, and Hibiki that were spying around. Hyosuke and Kiyomi almost blew their cover. Thankfully, she was there to cover them.

So all she had to do now was to wait for when the eclipse will happen. That's when everyone in this country whose magic consists of dark magic will weaken. She just had to wait a little longer, and then she'll be able to come home. But she missed them so much already. It made her wonder, would she be able to wait that long?

"Natsu, you idiot . . . " She mumbled to herself. "Come and save me already."

Exhaustion began to take over. She started forgetting how the fire mage had completely broken her heart. All she wanted in the world right now was to just see him. Forget her love for him and her jealousy when she sees him and Lisanna together. She would rather see him with Lisanna than not seeing him at all. And with those thoughts in mind, she surrendered herself to sleep.

* * *

Hidenori smiled wickedly at himself as he returned to his room. He had no time to worry about the little princess for now. He has more important matters to attend to.

He would be able to offer her anything. Anything she ever and would ever want, he can give it to her. Who in their right mind would refuse an offer like that? So it should be a matter of time. All he had to do was wait for a little while. In the meantime, he had other matters to attend to. Matters like the trespassers camping about a couple of miles from the castle. The mages who were sent here from Fiore.

He smirked. What a bunch of ignorant fools. They honestly thought that they would have been able to hide their presence from him. Ha! He had sensed them the first second they arrived. He was about to get his soldiers to go take care of them. But then, at the last second, he thought to himself, why not have a little fun?

He allowed them to enter the castle and allowed them to know about the eclipse. But the information they received wasn't entirely correct. They should be charging towards the castle in two days. But the eclipse won't be until next week. How naive. Did they honestly think that they could have gotten such critical information like that so easily? What a bunch of simple-minded fools. He would enjoy watching them be executed.

He continued to grinned evilly at himself as he looked out from the balcony. It will be such an interesting week.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed it!**

**RnR !**

**Anyway, here's some info on my OC's:**

**Hidenori - **24 years of age. Currently the prince of Visna, and the only heir to the throne. He has sadistic and cruel kind of personality. He's much like what Laxus was before the Battle of Fairy Tail. You know, all high and mighty. He has jet black hair and red eyes, kind of like Rogue, but his hair style is more similar to Gray's. He's very strong when it comes to magical power, and he's also really skilled in had-to-hand combat and swordsmanship. Though he would rather sit back and watch his soldiers do all the work for him. So it's been a while since someone has seen his true potential. His name is japanese for 'superior rule'.

**Addei** - 28 years of age. Symbolizes Pride. You could say that she's the leader of the SSS. Though it's not really confirmed. She just seems to like bossing people around. She's very self-centered and has a very high self-esteem. Addei is always seen carrying a mirror, it may either be in her hand r in her pocket. She spends most of her time criticizing the others and prefers people to add a honorific to her name like '-san'. She has long wavy purple hair that reaches to her knees, and bloody red eyes. She would prefer reading than fighting, and when it comes to guarding the king, she would stand back and watch them, only to help if the others are in big trouble. Addei means 'adorned'.

**Hyosuke **- 27 years of age. Symbolizes Wrath. Basically, he's the strongest and most violent one in the SSS. Though he would much rather destroy stuff in the castle than to pick unnecessary fights with his fellow SSS members. Mostly because he thought they were boring. Hyosuke can't stand silence and would snap and create a ruckus of there has been too much of it. He tends to be the most talkative, except when he's around the king. He has spiky red hair much similar to Elfman's hair style. He's incredibly skilled in hand-to-hand combat but doesn't know how to wield a weapon. Most of the time, he would be seen doing what was Addei's job. Also, he seems to have a huge crush on Kiyomi. His name means 'helpful soldier'.

**Kiyomi **- 24 years of age. Symbolizes Lust. She's a bit shy and carefree sometimes and would always be seen daydreaming. But she never seems to mind wearing very revealing clothes, sometimes wearing only a robe, or even only having a towel wrapped around her. She likes to walk around the castle like that, sometimes causing male servants and guards to faint nose bleeding. But she doesn't seem to mind. Mot of the people in the palace have already gotten used o her, except for Hyosuke. No one knows if she notices his feelings towards her. But she either acts completely oblivious to it, or not caring in the slightest about it. She has long straight light blue hair that reaches her waist. She has a great amount of speed, is flexible and an expert at dodging attacks and seems to know quite a bit about hand-to-hand combat, since Hyosuke had offered to teach her not too long ago. Kiyomi's name means 'pure beauty'.

**Mia **- 20 years of age. Symbolizes Greed. Mia is the youngest of all the SSS members. Despite her age, she is very small and looks like she's five years younger than what she really is. Other than that, she tends to really act like a child sometimes. A spoiled brat, as Addei would put it. Her hobbies consist of counting all the money from the king's taxes and talking to her best friend, Aeschylus. Mia tends to wear expensive clothing and hates o be in casual attires. But she was forced to wear them, since it was the king's orders, though she still wears very expensive accessories, no one knows where where ever got them. She has long blonde hair that reaches her knees and curls up at the tips. She doesn't seem to have much skill but she's very good with magic so she can be pretty useful. Her name means 'mine'.

**Aeschylus **- 22 years of age. Symbolizes Envy. Aeschylus is a bit short for his age, but not as much as Mia. He tends to be very quiet and a bit mysterious and spooky. No one knows much about him, other than the fact that he spends a LOT of time with Mia, when he's not with her, he can be found stalking someone or staring at the king or prince. He has green hair which was spiky on most occasions but was down whenever he was depressed, well more depressed than usual that is. Despite his looks, he can be very strong when he gets serious in a fight. His name can be translated to 'shame' in greek.

**Kazuki **- 29 years of age. Symbolizes Gluttony. He's the eldest of the SSS. He's very cheerful and energetic. His hobbies consist of cooking for his fellow members and Adora/Mira, and chatting with them. Lucy commented once that her cooking is even better than Mira's, she can also get along more with him than she did with Mira. She also likes spending a lot of time with Galan, his best friend. Though he would do most of the talking and Galan would just be listening in silence, rarely giving any comments. He had spiky brown hair, though it was covered with a hairnet most of the time. He also has a very impressive amount of strength and agility. His name means 'one tree'.

**Galan **- 27 years of age. Symbolizes Sloth. He is always laying around. Whether it was o the floor or a bed, it doesn't really matter for him. He spends most of his time either asleep, eating, or listening to Kazuki. Though, once in a while, he would be seen awake doing nothing, but looking either uninterested in what was going on or really sleepy. He was a light sleeper so no one ever has any trouble with him sleeping all the time. Galan has silver hair similar to the Take Over siblings, which was down. Despite his daily lifestyle, he has an impressive amount of speed and an expert at dodging attacks and he is also skilled in hand-to-hand combat. His name can be translated to 'calm'.

**Adora **- 10 years of age. The image Lucy was given when she began to be a prisoner of the castle. She would always be seen wearing rags, though Greed would once in a while hand her some clothes. But Lucy would often refuse for some odd reason. Adora has long black hair that reached her shoulders and was really messy all the time, Lucy never bothered to fix it, but Addei would sometimes. She also had pale skin, her bangs covered her left eye and she has an eye patch on the other. But she never complained about it and she seemed to be able to see perfectly fine. Her right eye was of deep blue in color while the one covered with an eye patch is her own eye which was chocolate brown. Adora means 'loved child' in latin.

**Sebastian **- Age is unknown. As Hibiki said, he is being controlled, so he obeys every one of the order that was given to him without question. Though Lucy and the SSS members doesn't seem to know anything about it. He has jet black hair which was always down and neatly combed. He always wore a neat black tuxedo. He doesn't seem to have any magical power whatsoever, but he is very skilled in hand-to-hand combat, more than any of the SSS are. Name is randomly picked.

**Hoped you enjoyed the trivia!**


	7. CHARGE !

**Well, thanks for all the reviews so far. Hope you guys'll enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

"Move it, people!" Erza ordered. "We have to get there soon! We can't afford to waste any more precious time!"

"We got it." Lyon told her.

"Well, we should hurry and get things done and over with." Sherry said.

"Yeah, I wanna go home." Shellia stuck to her sister.

According to the information Erza, Gray, and Hibiki had retrieved, today was the day of the eclipse. The day they will attack Visna's castle. It would be starting this midnight. So they started to pack all their stuff and make last minute preparations. Erza wasn't doing much. She just made sure Natsu and Gray weren't fighting and bossing people around to go faster.

"Yeah, yeah. We know." Sting said, annoyed at the scarlet haired mage.

"Why don't you try providing some assistance instead of harshly barking out orders?" Minerva suggested, also getting a little annoyed at her.

"Tsk." Erza sighed and decided to help as well. As they loaded all their things, Wendy casted Trioa on all the dragin slayers, but she was sure that she still had a lot of magical power left. Erza made sure of that.

"She sure does like acting like the boss of everyone." Orga commented.

"Aye! That's Erza for you!" Happy chirped.

"All right everyone! We're about to take off!" Hibiki announced.

* * *

Lucy wandered around the castle, trying to clear her head. She wondered when Natsu was going to save her. Of course, they would most likely wait until the eclipse. But she couldn't help but look forward to it. Sure it's only been more than a month since she last saw him, but she really wanted to see him again. Then again, Natsu would most likely take her back home, or at least as far away from here as possible. She supposed that would mean that she'll never see the SSS again. Too bad, she was starting to like them very much. They did spend a lot of time with her. And she had to admit, she will miss them very much. But not as much as she missed all her other friends as of now. If only she could find some way of bringing them with her to Magnolia. She was sure they'll like that. Well, better than being stuck in this castle anyway. Speaking of which . . .

Lucy stopped from her tracks as she suddenly realized something. She looked around, from left to right.

Where _were_ the SSS? In fact, where _was_ everybody? She had been wandering around the whole castle for a while now and she still hasn't encountered anyone. Not even any of the servants or maids. Where were they?

Something was up. Lucy just knew it. Something's wrong and her guts told her to find out what it was. And she gladly obliged. She ran round the mansion, searching every room for anyone. Something was _definitely_ wrong. She found no one so far, but she still had hundreds of rooms to check. It was a huge castle after all. But shouldn't she have found someone by now? There were always maids and butlers going around maintaining the cleanliness of this place. And she can't be alone in the entire castle. If they had all left, she was sure she would have noticed.

'_Where is everyone?_' she thought, feeling worried and uncomfortable.

"Adora!" Addei called out to her. She turned around and saw the SSS. She sighed in relief.

"Guys, there you are . . ." she mumbled.

"Adora-chan! Where were you? We've been looking all over for you!" Kiyomi whined, kneeling down to look the little girl in the eye.

"Where were _you_? I was the one who've been looking for you guys. I hadn't seen any of you since last night." she said, cocking an eyebrow.

"Will you please stop focusing on such trivial matters? We have more important matters to attend to." Addei said, lifting a fan and covered half of her face. Okay, something was definitely up. Lucy was now a hundred percent sure. Addei only talked like that when she was either around the king or, as she was told by Mia, when the situation she was in was really serious. What was going on? She needed to find out.

"Is there something wrong?" Kazuki asked her with a worried expression.

"That's actually my line." they blinked at her with confusion.

"Why were you guys looking for me? Why are you talking like that, Addei-san? Where is everyone? Why aren't there any servants around doing chores and stuff? What about Sebastian? He's usually around me to make sure I don't run away or escape. What's going on? And why are you all dressed like that?" Adora asked all at once, but she stopped taking the well-needed air.

They were wearing clothes that were their traditional raiments. Addei was wearing a fine violet boutique robe that reached her ankles. It had golden edges, and also had a slit on each of her sides. She was also wearing violet ballet flats, a golden necklace with a diamond, and golden bracelets on each of her wrists. Hyosuke was wearing plain red t-shirt under a black leather jacket with black leather pants and spiked boots. He also had black gauntlets, the one on his right hand reached until his wrist but the one on his left reached until the middle of his shoulder and elbow. His helmet was similar to a biker's helmet, so his usual spiky hair that was up gets pushed down and gives him some bangs that covers his eyes a bit. Kiyomi was wearing a strapless light blue silk dress that reached above her knees and matching light blue stilettos. She held her hair back with a blue hairband that was decorated with a light blue rose.

Mia was wearing a yellow frilly coquette dress with yellow wedge. Her hair was tied in two braids with brown scrunchies. She also wore golden bracelets on her wrists like Addei was, only she had more than the purple haired woman does. She had around eight on each arm. Also, she had a necklace with golden beads. Aeschylus was wearing the most casual attire. He was wearing a black shirt with the word 'DIE' printed on it in red, designed to look as if it was written with blood, and green baggy pants with black rubber shoes and dark green wrist armor with gold edges. Kazuki was wearing a plain white t-shirt, brown pants and brown combat boots with a white waist apron and a hairnet which was covered with a chef's hat. He was also wearing iron gauntlets that reached below his elbows. Lastly, Galan was wearing a gray tunic with white wrist armor underneath a brown cloak that had its hood up, covering his face with its shadow and also black combat boots.

The seven body guards glanced at each other. Something smells fishy.

"Adora-chan, you need to hide in your room." Mia told her.

"What? Why?"

"There are some assassins that are about to attack the castle." Addei explained to her. "If they see you they'll kill you in sight."

"What?" her eyes widened in disbelief. Could it be . . . them? No, it couldn't. They would definitely be smart enough to wait until the eclipse. Erza will definitely be smart enough to wait until the eclipse. This country had a lot of enemies, so it must be one of them who are going to attack.

"We heard that our opponents will be incredibly strong. So, the king and the prince left to a more secured location, Sebastian came with them. But you are ordered to stay here." Kazuki explained.

"Wh-why?"

"We don't know. But you are in no state to defend yourself. So for the sake of your safety, don't leave your room no matter what." Hyosuke ordered. Lucy merely nodded and headed towards her room with Addei who offered to escort her there just in case.

"Don't worry!" Hyosuke called out to her. "We'll beat 'em up! We'll beat 'em up good!"

"Yeah! You can count on us!" Mia cheered. Kiyomi giggled at them.

"After this, I'll make you a batch of cookies to make it up for you!" Kazuki said, joining in.

Lucy giggled at their antics. "Okay! I look forward to it!"

After that, they walked through the great hallways in silence. Both of them seemed lost in thought, that is until Lucy spoke.

"Addei?"

"Yes? Is there anything bothering you?"

"W-will you guys be alright?" Addei stared at her in disbelief for a moment before chuckling.

"Of course we would." she said ruffling her hair. "What are you doing worrying about us? You should worry about yourself right now."

Lucy stared at her for a moment before smiling and entered her room. Addei slammed the door shut. Then she closed her eyes and started concentrating.

"_Clauditis._" she muttered and opened her eyes. It glowed and a magic circle appeared in front of the doors. Addei had placed a seal on the door just in case. This way, no one can ever get in the room unless she says so, or even out.

"Be safe." she mumbled. Adora- no, Lucy was such a nice little girl. So then why the hell would choose her of all people? She shook her head before returning to the gates. Their enemies should be arriving soon.

* * *

"Alright, everyone! There it is!" Hibiki announced as the castle came to sight. They all glared at it and magical power started to surround each one of them. Team Natsu glared at the castle, it was time to get it done and over with. To finish what they came for.

"Hold on, everyone!" Ichiya warned them as they crashed into a magical barrier. They held on to something, the Trimens and Ichiya tried to maintain their balance as they maneuvered they way through the barriers.

"Men~!" Ichiya shouted as they got through at last and Cristina crashed through the gates. To their surprise, soldiers were already their, prepared for battle. Erza's eyes widened as she stared at them for a moment in confusion. Why are they- ?

Her thoughts were cut off by Natsu who aimed a Fire Dragon's Roar at them. And a lot of them were immediately taken out, but a lot of them were still coming. Erza snapped out of her thoughts as she started focusing on what was important. That's right, she was on a mission. And she couldn't afford to be up in the clouds right now. Hopefully, she'll get some answers as soon as they were done.

"Charge!" she yelled and not long after that, the others obeyed her command and started fighting the army of knights. Thankfully, not many of them were mages. So they were able to take them out easily.

"Ice Make: Lance!"

"Rock Doll!"

"Black Lightning Sphere!"

"Iron Rock Powder Explosion!"**  
**

"Ice Make: Eagle!"

"Take Over! Animal Soul: Tigress!"

"Thunder bullets!"

"Iron Dragon's Sword!"

"Wave Bullet!"

"Open Gate of the Lion! Leo!" Yukino yelled as Loke appeared next to her, ready to fight. Ever since Lucy's 'death', all her keys were given to Yukino. So she had all the 12 golden zodiac keys as of now.

They quickly got rid off all the guards on the gate, but they were followed by more soldiers. There was just no end to them. Sure they were easy to knock out, but they were out numbered. At this rate, they'll definitely run out of magical power soon.

"Titania!" Minerva called out to the S-class mage. "Trust us to take care of these mere soldiers! Go on and fulfil our main objective! Don't worry about us! We'll be able to take care of them, and reinforce you as soon as possible."

Erza nodded and re-quipped into her Purgatory armor and flew through the halls to search for their main targets.

"Jura! Go with her!" Lyon told him, and the wizard saint gladly followed and ran after her. Soon enough, Laxus, Natsu, Sting, Rogue, and Gajeel followed along with their fateful exceeds.

"No way, am I letting Erza have all the fun!" Natsu yelled.

"Aye!"

"You bet!" Gajeel trailed behind him, along with Panther Lily.

"Rogue! Let's go!" Sting called after his partner. The black haired man merely nodded.

"Oi! Get back here you morons!" Laxus called, chasing after them.

"You think they'll be alright?" Rufus asked, feeling a bit worried.

"Of course, they'll be." Minerva reassured him. "By now, you should know already that each one of them are perfectly capable of handling themselves. As well as Sting and Rogue. We need not to worry about them. It will be useless anyway. All we can do, as of now, is to try to get rid off all these troublesome pests."

Rufus smiled at her and nodded, agreeing.

"And until then, we will be able to do nothing but have fate in them."

"I suppose you're right."

"Alright, everyone!" Minerva yelled. "Please keep it up so we can provide reinforcements to the others with accomplishing our main objective!"

"Got it!" they answered back in unison.

* * *

Erza ran through the great halls looking around for any sign of . . well, anybody for the matter. She kept running and running until she was absolutely sure that she was lost. She had been running aimlessly for a while now. She just wanted to see one of those Sinful Souls and beat the crap out of them. She remembered what happened to one of her best friends, her blood started to boil with anger. She stopped running and started trembling. Everything started flooding back her.

"DAMMIT!" she yelled, punching the wall.

"Oh my, what foul language you have." Erza jumped in shock and whipped her head around to see a purple-haired woman in some fancy clothes.

"You . . ." The ex-quip age started to glare at her. "Your one of the 7 Sinful Souls, aren't you? You're one of the king's bodyguards?"

"Why, yes . . ." she said opening her fan and covering half of her face with it. "I am Addei, the Prideful Soul."

"You . . ." Her bangs covered her eyes as Erza trembled in anger.

"You were looking for me? Well, I heard it wasn't just me. You were looking for the whole SSS. That's short for the Seven Sinful Souls, by the way."

There was a silence as Erza continued trembling. Then she re-quipped two swords and glared at the older woman.

"I . . ." she said. "WILL EXECUTE YOU!"

Those words left her mouth before she sprinted towards Addei.

* * *

**Well, I've read at the anime that Minerva talked in a formal way . . . I think.**

**Hope you guys enjoyed it! And please review!**

**Next chapter will be Erza vs. Addei!**


	8. Erza vs Addei

**Well, hope I didn't keep you guys waiting! Here's chapter eight!**

**Erza vs. Addei!**

**Hope you guys'll enjoy it!**

* * *

Addei watched the scarlet haired mage charge right towards her, two swords in hand, yelling out a battle cry. She continued to watch her until Erza had gotten close enough and continuously swinged her swords towards her opponent with great speed and force. She sure had the intention of cutting her limbs of. But Addei was incredibly skilled. She dodged her swords without much effort and kneed her opponent in the stomach.

Erza was sent back, slamming to the wall. Coughing, she once again glared at Addei.

The SSS member simply cocked an eyebrow at her. Addei heard that their opponents will be strong. Very strong. And this woman was indeed very powerful, Addei could sense it very clearly. But she was also swallowed up in anger. So Addei definitely had the advantage. Being filled with anger and rage is usually the cause of most of her victories.

Since Addei could remember, she and the rest of the SSS had done a lot of cruel things, like murdering people, kidnapping them, destroying their homes, etc. All of those things, they did them just because the king had ordered her to. So of course, a lot of people had seek revenge against them. Each one of them had lost the fight, and their lives along with it. All because they were so fed up in anger, they weren't able to think straight and just blindly and aimlessly fought them with all they've got. Just like what the mage in front of her was doing right now.

Erza summoned her swords and re-quipped to her Heaven's Wheel Armor.

"Dance my swords!"

With swords aimed towards her at full speed, there was no time to duck. At least, that was what it seemed like. Addei had somehow managed to- gracefully- dodge all the swords and block the punch Erza threw at her afterwards.

She sent punches and kicks at her, but Addei blocked every single one of them. Erza re-quipped into her Purgatory armor and lifted her giant sword and, with all her strength, smashed it towards Addei. But she dodged the sword and it left a big crater on the floor.

"My, my, I suppose I should start taking this fight seriously." she said, and Erza charged towards her again.

But then, a flames covered every part of her body. "That ought to do the trick." Addei said to herself. "No one has ever survived my _Flames of Passion_. Oh, it just loves humans so much it swallows it up and turns them into ashes."

Addei turned around, pleased at her easy victory. "Yet another life lost, in the hands of the beautiful and mighty, Addei." she laughed. But then, she sensed her fire weakening and whipped her head back.

Erza re-quipped into her Flame Empress Armor and was currently extinguishing the flames.

'_That's right._' she thought to herself. '_I won't be able to win this fight if I let my anger overcome me._'

She pointed her sword once again at the woman, but this time, her expression didn't compose of anger and hatred. Her usual serious expression overtook her features. She had to calm down if she wanted to win this fight. So she'll have to put her anger aside for the time being, the mission is much more important right now. And she has to realize that.

Addei realized Erza's resolve. She's calming down. There goes one of her advantages. But it wasn't the only one. She had to remember that. Addei didn't know much of her opponent, but she was sure that she had more experience than she did, and a bit more skilled too. Plus, she was confident about her magical power, It was amazingly high, after all. Yes, she won't give up. For once in her life, she wasn't fighting someone because her master, the king told her to. She was fighting to protect someone she cares about. This woman, she would definitely attack Adora as well. She was a hundred percent sure she will. Then she'll target the king and prince. But as of the moment, she didn't give a damn about them. Her main concern was Adora.

The two of them glared at each other. They were going to go all out.

'_For the vengeance of Lucy's death._' Erza thought.

'_For the sake of protecting Adora._' Addei thought.

'_I can not lose!_' with those words in their minds, they charged at each other, letting out a battle cry.

* * *

"Oh, man!" Natsu whined. He was running aimlessly at this huge castle. For some reason, he can't track Erza down, or anyone at that matter. So his extraordinary senses were totally useless for the time being.

While running for Erza, the other dragon slayers ran after him too. But they somehow got separated. Mostly because Natsu had ran really fast without thinking of which way to go. Unconsciously, he didn't realize that he wasn't going on the direction where Erza and Jura was heading before it was too late.

"Natsu! What are we going to do?" Happy asked.

Natsu grinned at him and patted the exceed's head. "Don't worry, Happy! We'll be alright! We just have to find the bad guys and beat them up!"

"Aye!"

* * *

Lucy lay at her bed, thinking about the SSS. They'll be alright, she kept telling herself that. They're all strong. Each and every one of them. They'll get rid of those hired assassins. They can definitely do it. Then, after all this is over, she'll enjoy some deliciously sweet cookies Kazuki makes and chat with them and hear the stories of their fights.

Her mind suddenly wandered off to someone else. She started wondering what her old friends were doing. They were probably causing trouble as usual. Gray and Natsu would be fighting and Erza would be there to stop them. She giggled as she remembered her friends' crazy antics.

"Guys . . ." she whispered. "Be safe. I miss you all."

And with that, she surrendered to sleep.

* * *

Erza was pushed back a few feet and she re-quipped into her Flight armor. Both she and Addei were a bit injured and breathing heavily.

Erza would admit that her opponent's magic was very impressive, and so were her skills. Addei wasn't just a fire mage. She was an elemental mage. She can control fire, water, earth, and air. She can block attacks with her bare hands, and even dodge all of her swords no matter how many she would throw at her. Plus, she would do it gracefully, as if she as dancing. If Addei weren't evil, she would have had Erza's respect by now.

Addei felt the same way about Erza. She, too, was impressed. Erza was indeed the fastest person to ex-quip she had ever known. And this was also the longest fight she has ever been in. She had always managed to finish a fight right away. But the scarlet haired mage sure was different. To be truthful, Erza was the first person to have ever been able to injure her at a fight. She really was a worthy opponent.

"I must say, you're quite skilled at ex-quipping."

Erza chuckled in reply. "I can say so, yourself."

"You know, I never did get your name."

Silence followed.

"Oh, come now." Addei stood upright. Though her intentions seemed pure, she just thought it would only be logical that she gets to know the name of a person before she kills them. "I had already introduced myself, so it's only fair that you tell me about yourself as well. Come now, don't be shy."

Erza, for some reason, felt at ease. The mood seemed to brighten a bit. It looked like they were back to the introduction. She just realized that she really didn't get to state her name to her opponent. She had been burning with rage that time, so telling the woman her name was the last thing on her mind. She supposed it wouldn't hurt to give her her name. All most every single one of the people she had fought already knew her. She was incredibly famous, after all. So it's quite rare for her to encounter someone who doesn't know her. But this woman _was_ from another country. Her fame couldn't have possibly gotten that far.

She supposed that she can tell her. It couldn't hurt to just tell an opponent your name. Even if she _was_ a great enemy that she must kill. What could go wrong? It's not like she can put her name in some Death note.

"Erza." she told her. "Erza Scarlet. I am an S-class mage of Fairy Tail.

To say that Addei was surprised was an understatement. She was completely and utterly shocked. Her eyes widened and she fell to her knees.

"O-Oi!" Erza called out. What happened? Did she do something wrong? She just said her name. What was wrong with this woman?

'_Erza? Erza Scarlet? Fairy Tail? This woman can't mean . . ._' Addei thought to herself. This woman . . . Adora's acquaintance? Her friend?

_FLASHBACK_

_"Oi! Adora-chan!" Addei called out. The said person looked behind her from staring at the skies to the purple-haired woman. _

_"Addie-san, is something wrong?"_

_"Don't call me Addie. It's Addei."_

_"Well, don't call me Adora, it's Lucy."_

_"Whatever. Anyway, why the long face?" Adora's face broke into a frown, the young girl couldn't look at the woman in front of her. Instead, she turned back to staring at the clouds._

_"It's weird isn't it, Addei-san?" she suddenly said. "Life is just full of mysteries, isn't it?"  
_

_"Well, of course it is." Addei walked up beside her, as they both enjoyed the view from the roof top of the highest tower in the castle._

_"You know, I might have a cheerful personality but . . ." Adora continued to look at the clouds as they took on different shapes. "To tell you the truth, I was miserable."_

_Addei stared at her with a mixture of shock and confusion. The girl chuckled. "But I guess anyone would be if they saw the person they love, love someone else."_

_"The person you love . . . ?"_

_"Yeah, have you ever felt love?" She shook her head, Adora chuckled once again. _

_"It's the most wonderful feeling in the world. Nothing can compare to it." she explained. "But it can also be the most painful one."_

_"Love . . ." Addei trailed off. "It's both happiness and pain?"_

_"Confusing isn't it?" she smiled at her. "It's only happiness if you love someone who loves you back. But if not . . . it's . . ."_

_"Adora-chan . . ." Addei felt pity for her._

_"But even though I was miserable, despite the pain I felt . . . I still want to go back."_

_"But . . . why? Wouldn't you just get hurt even more? Stay here! All your wishes would be granted!" she encouraged her._

_"No." that was her simple reply. "It doesn't make sense but . . . I just have to go back."_

_"Why?"_

_"Well, maybe because someone's waiting for me. Any one of my friends."_

_"How about that person. That man?"_

_"I have high hopes that he'll be the one to rescue me. Along with Gray and Erza."_

_"Who?"_

_"My friends. My nakama. My team mates." she explained. "Erza Scarlet and Gray Fullbuster."_

_"Erza . . . Scarlet? Gray . . . ?" she asked. "What nice names they have."_

_Adora only nodded. "They might be really hurt right now. They might miss me as much as I miss them. So I shouldn't make them get hurt any longer."_

_"So you'll go back?"_

_"Yes." she nodded and finally looked at Addei. They stared at each other for a while. "Even if I'm miserable, as long as the people I care about is happy, I'm happy. And that is love."_

_She approached Addei and hugged her by the waist, which caught the older woman by surprise. "And you know what? I'm beginning to love you too, Addei-san. I'm beginning to love_ all_ of you."_

_FLASHBACK END_

This was one of the people who caused Adora so much pain and misery. To top it all off, they hadn't even noticed her suffering. How could they do that to such an innocent little girl. Anger boiled inside of her. But she still managed to remain calm.

If they were gone, Adora could stop suffering. She can stay here, and be happy with them for the rest of her life. She wasn't going to let such selfish and idiotic people hurt her. No, never again. She must execute them. Kill them, before they do any further damage.

Erza started approaching Addei, to see if she was alright. But then, spikes came out from the Earth and almost pierced a giant hole through her. But luckily, she was able to jump away in time. That's right, she just remembered she was in a battle. She can't show any mercy. She has to take this woman down. Then kill all the others for what they did to Lucy.

"Die!" Addei roared. Then flames started to appear all around Erza, so she re-quipped into her flame Empress Armor.

"What the hell is your problem!" Erza yelled and started shooting fire at her. Addei created a wall that was made of Earth to block her attacks. She then sent a small wave of water to Erza's direction and it hit her so hard that she slammed onto the wall. She re-quipped into her Sea Empress Armor and gathered all the water that hit her and fired it at Addei. But she simply stretched her arm out in front of her and controlled it and the water avoided her, not even a drop of it touched her. Addei then made a ring of fire form around Erza but she managed to extinguish it almost immediately.

Addei controlled the earth and lifted Erza up high and then quickly lowered it, so Erza was now falling from a great height. Then she started firing wind blades and flames at her. Erza re-quipped into the Admantine armor and defended herself from the attacks. After that, she re-quipped to the Purgatory armor and smashed the giant sword to Addei, who had been able to dodge it. So yet another crater was created. Addei sent a whirlpool of water towards Erza, who, again, re-quipped to her Sea Empress Armor. But wasn't able to realize the flames directed towards her before it was too late. She slammed towards the wall, and before she landed onto the ground, Addei raised it and the impact it had to Erza's body was twice as painful as it was supposed to be if she just landed on it.

Erza started standing up, but Addei forced her down the ground with the wind. The woman was twice as strong as she was earlier. At first, they were about evenly matched. But now it's as if she was battling with a mage saint. Does Jura even stand a chance against this woman? She doubted it. What on earth did she do to make her so angry? All she did was state her name, like she asked. Maybe Addei knew her. But if so, what could she have possibly done to make the woman this angry? Erza knew she didn't do anything wrong. Besides, she was the one seeking revenge here, not Addei.

Erza summoned her swords on top of Addei and they quickly dropped towards her. She barely had time to react and she was left almost as wounded as Erza. Almost.

Addei's clothes were all torn and her pale skin was covered in wounds. Bruises and scratches. And so was Erza. But of course, her injuries were a bit worse. Erza's arms and legs were practically covered in blood. She had bruises and scratches everywhere, and a long scar was visible in her thigh and her abdomen.

Despite her wounds, Erza quickly got up. She ex-quipped into her strongest armor. Armadura Fairy.

'_Looks like she's going to give it all she's got._' Addei thought. '_Then so should I._'

Both of them started emitting great amounts of magical power. All four elements, Fire, Water, Air, and Earth, It all gathered near Addei. Big rocks were broken out of the ground, air, fire, and water circled around her. Erza didn't show any signs of fear or any emotions at that. Just pure seriousness. Both of them were going to give it their all. No holding back.

"Scarlet!" the SSS member roared.

"Addei!" Erza roared back. And the two of them clashed.

A huge explosion, almost destroying the walls and turn them into rubble. Everyone in the castle heard it.

* * *

Minerva and the others paused from their fight to look around as they heard an explosion.

"Wh-what was that?" Lisanna wondered out loud.

"The SSS, most likely. Looks like the others have already found them." Gray concluded.

"Alright, everyone, let's keep it up!" Minerva exclaimed.

"Yeah!" they yelled.

* * *

Adora woke up, startled. Was that an explosion? She got up and looked around, and ran to her window. At one part of the castle, she could see huge flames.

The SSS!

Were they alright? Well she wasn't going to just sit around and find out.

* * *

They were both down, lying on the ground and breathing heavily. Armadura Fairy was destroyed. Both of them are already dry of magical power.

But the battle isn't over yet.

Both of them struggled to stand up. And once they did, they glared at each other. Neither of them was willing to lose. Each had their own reason to win, so none of them was giving up. And, as expected, Erza was the first to make a move. She charged towards Addei, who, surprisingly, did the same.

The two women clashed, each showing their skill for hand-to-hand combat, throwing punch after punch and kick after kick at each other. Neither of them was backing down. Both of them seek vengeance. Their battle was now all about skill, they were both even. Both thought the same, no magic, no dirty tricks, and just plain skills. If either of them is going to win this fight, they were going to do it fairly.

As they were both pushed back, Addei grabbed a sword that was hanging on the wall for decoration. Erza did the same. And they started displaying their swordsmanship. Something they were both an expert at. The sound of metal connecting to metal echoed through the empty hallway. But in the middle of their fight, a pain shot up from Erza's pain, she winced and got distracted for a moment. Seeing the opportunity, Addei kicked her on the side, sending Erza slamming to the floor, and lying down on her stomach. She was unable to move. Pain enveloped her every being. Her breathing was heavy. Was this the end for her?

"You have met your match." Addei said. "Losing this fight, you'll also be losing your life."

It was. Erza felt a single tear run down her face. In the end, she wasn't strong enough. She wasn't able to avenge her friend's death. She was too weak. She didn't even stand a chance. She thought she can just come here and defeat everyone that stands in her way like always. But, there was always someone stronger than you. You're not the strongest. There is always someone who can surpass you. And today, Erza have met that person, and that woman would be the one to take her life.

'_I'm sorry everyone . . . Lucy . . ._' she thought. '_I'm sorry . . . I lost._'

With those thoughts in mind, she lost consciousness. Addei continued to stare at her, then she lifted her sword up to stab her. She couldn't realize Adora's pain and made her miserable. Such an incompetent fool! And what? She came here to take her back? Maybe not, she couldn't have known that her friend was still alive. But if they did find out, they will take her back. So what? So they can ignore her pain? So they can ignore her misery and be fooled by the fake happiness? Can't they even see the sadness Adora had been hiding behind that smile? Well she and the rest of her friends had. Adora seemed cheerful most of the time, but they all realized it was fake. And this woman and the rest of her friends can't? No. She wasn't going to let such an innocent girl suffer for any longer. Killing this woman will only be the first step to returning Adora's lost happiness.

"May you rest in peace . . ." Addie whispered, mostly to herself. "_Erza Scarlet._"

* * *

**Oh, how I love having cliffhangers in my stories.**

**Anyway please review everyone! Tell me what you think!**

**And also, give me some advice for the later fights of the SSS! I don't really know what kind of powers Sting and Rogue have. And nor do I know how to match them up. I'm just winging it. So I'm open for suggestions!**

**Next chapter: Hyosuke vs. Laxus.**


	9. Laxus vs Hyosuke

**Well, here it is people! Chapter 9! Oh, and some of your answers will be answered in this chapter. Thanks for the reviews so far, BTW!**

**Oh and this kind of writing: **Hyosuke

**It's Hyosuke speaking but Laxus can't understand him. **

**Anyway, on with the story! And hope you guys'll enjoy it!**

* * *

Addei prepared to stab the woman. But she froze as she heard a familiar voice.

"STOP!"

Addei lowered the sword and turned around. Her eyes widened as she saw who it was.

"Wh-what are you doing here?"

"Stop this! You can't kill her."

"Wh-what?"

* * *

Laxus wandered around aimlessly at the castle. He didn't have to be a genius to realize that he's lost.

"Damn, what a huge-ass castle." he muttered to himself. What was he even doing here? Gramps just _had _to pick him as one of the representatives. Why not Mira, or Gildarts even? The old geezer just _had_ to choose him. And now he's stuck here. Wandering around aimlessly, not knowing which way to go. He doesn't even know who he's looking for! All he knows is they're a couple of bodyguards. Other than that, they said nothing else. No other description. Well, that's just great.

"Oi! Blondie!" someone shouted and he turned around to see a man who looked like a delinquent. He raised a brow at him.

"Yeah, I'm talkin' to you! You wouldn't happen to be from Fiore, wouldn't you?"

"And you wouldn't happen to be one of those bodyguards of the king, wouldn't you?"

"Well, yeah. Got a problem with that?"

"Yeah, nothin' personal, but I'm gonna have to beat you up."

"Oh?" the man smirked. "Getting cocky, huh?"

"I'm pretty sure I can do that."

"Pshh. You wish!" he slammed his fists together. "Do you even know who you're dealing with?"

"Is that important right now?"

"Hell, yeah!" he said. "I'm Hyosuke, the Raging Soul!"

"Laxus, S-class mage from Fairy Tail."

"Well then, fight me! I'm gonna kick your ass." Hyosuke smirked at him. Laxus just cocked an eyebrow.

"You know, you remind me of someone I got to beat up numerous times." he said, remembering Natsu.

"You sayin' you can beat me?" he asked annoyed.

"It's not like I can't."

Hyosuke smirked at him. Laxus got into his battle stance. This guy looked like he was all talk, like Natsu or Gajeel. Hopefully, he wouldn't need to use much magical power to kick his ass. "Come at me!"

And Hyosuke did just that. He charged towards Laxus, and punched him in the stomach. Laxus had no time to react and he was sent flying yards away and landed with a crash. He coughed.

"What? Can't handle my strength?" Hyosuke smirked. "Man, too bad Kiyomi ain't here to see me beat you up."

"Well, I'm sorry if I can't help you show off to your girlfriend." Laxus said, with sarcasm. He was getting pretty annoyed with his opponent.

"Girlfriend?" Hyosuke blinked. "Well, Kiyomi is a girl, and she's my friend."

Laxus face-palmed. "No, you moron, I'm saying that you like that girl!"

"What?" Hyosuke asked. "Of course I like her. She's my closest friend."

'_Violent. An idiot. And dense. Yup, he's definitely like Natsu._' Laxus thought.

"Well, whatever." he scoffed. "Look, I don't care whatever you've done in the past. I just want to get out of this hell hole! And the only way to do that is beat the crap out of you!"

His opponent just smirked. "You know, you remind me of a girl here named 'Adora'. She doesn't like this place like you do. Oh, and her real name is-"

Laxus punched him in the stomach sending him flying a few yards away. "Enough crap talk! let's get this over with!"

He smirked. "Alright then, fine. The sooner the better, anyways."

"Oh, and don't compare me to some li'l girl!"

"Oi! Adora's not a little girl. Well, she is right now. But I think she's 17 or something."

"Like I give a damn!" Laxus charged towards him. He sent another punch, this time he generated electricity from his arm and hit Hyosuke's face. But he held his ground and wasn't sent flying and instead sent a punch to Laxus stomach, he merely coughed and sent another punch. They continued to exchange punches, each of Laxus' had lightning generated on his arm, and Hyosuke's punches just seemed to be getting stronger and stronger. After some time, they both started to send an extra strong punch at the other. But they did so at the same time. Their fist connected and they were both sent flying yards away.

Both of them were breathing heavily, but they weren't that injured. So they both got up immediately, but they still had to catch their breath.

"Heh, looks like you're not all talk." Laxus smirked.

"I can say the same with you."

"Oh, I'm just warming up."

"Oh really?" Laxus now sensed a great amount of magical power coming from Hyosuke's body. Suddenly, his teeth were growing and getting sharper, a tail with spikes at the end appeared from his behind. He threw away his gauntlets and claws started appearing from it, the tip of his boots also tore apart and revealed the claws that also appeared. Hyosuke growled at Laxus. But he only stared back at him in a mixture of shock and confusion.

In this state, Hyosuke is unable to speak, so instead he just let out a loud roar which echoed through the hallways. Laxus had to cover his ears, and while he was distracted, Hyosuke charged at him. And he managed to successfully pin him to the ground. Laxus was trying to keep him from biting his head off, but was almost failing. So he kicked Hyosuke on the stomach with both legs and sent him flying. Laxus quickly stood back up and watch his opponent land on the floor on his feet.

Despite the fact that Laxus wouldn't be able to understand him even if he tried, Hyosuke still tried to speak. But the only thing that left his mouth were scoffs, snarls and growls. Laxus looked at him in utter confusion, telling him that he couldn't understand him, but he still continued.

"You're one of those bastards Adora told us about. You're one of the people who made her miserable." he said. "You made Lucy miserable!"

'_Wh-what? Is he trying to talk to me?_' Laxus wondered. '_I can't understand a word he's saying._'

"Well, I promised her that I'll beat up every single one of you guys who dare attack us. And it's only luck that you're one of them. I'll be doing her two favors at once." And with that, he charged at Laxus once again, with his claws out. Laxus tried to back away from him, trying his best not to get scratched with his opponent's claws that were extremely sharp. He fired some electric bullets, but Hyosuke dodged them easily and attacked him again. But Laxus sent a punch with generated electricity to him and he was sent back to the hard ground with a loud crash and caused a crater to appear.

"_Resounding through the air, the roar of thunder, plunge from the heavens and reap destruction!_" Laxus yelled and a large bolt of lightning descended towards him.

"Oh, crap." That's all he got to say before it hit him. Smoke filled the air and Laxus sighed, thinking it was over. But he was cut off when he heard a growl. As the smoke cleared he saw Hyosuke lying on his back with his arms crossed and were covered in thick scales that started to crack. Blood trickled from it as he winced in pain. Those scales took the full force of his Raging Bolt. If Hyosuke's transformation had been delayed even for a second, he would have turned to ashes.

Laxus scoffed and turned his body to lightning and maneuvered his way towards Hyosuke, who was just standing up. He looked up and was surprised to see his opponent missing.

"Where'd you go?" he growled. Laxus traveled secretly in lightning form, and then he traveled around his opponent with great speed. It caused a tornado of electricity to form around him. Sparks of lightning kept electrocuting Hyosuke until he was barely able to stand and he dropped down to his knees. Laxus returned to where he was formerly standing but the tornado of electricity kept Hyosuke prisoner inside of it.

Laxus returned to lightning form and with full speed charged towards hi, and sent a powerful punch, generated with electricity that landed on Hyosuke's stomach, sending him crashing towards the wall and landing on the hard ground with a thump. But he forced himself to stand back up and then attacked Laxus with his ridiculously sharp claws and this time managing to tear his coat to shreds.

"Oi! This is my favorite coat!" he snarled.

Hyosuke only scoffed; at least, that's what it looked like he did.

"Like I care about that kind of crap." he snarled, once again Laxus didn't understand him. So instead of replying, he casted Lightning Eruption and caught Hyosuke by surprised and sent him flying to the air. But before he could even start towards the ground, black bat-like wings appeared from his back.

"Heh, so you want to start playing dirty, huh?" he scoffed. Then, at the fastest rate his wings can take him, he plunged towards Laxus. Putting all his strength into his right arm that was lifted and had his fist clenched to send a very powerful punch. Laxus, however, saw this coming and sent his very own powerful punch towards Hyosuke, only he had generated lightning to his arm. And when their fists connected, the ground shattered. At the same time, an explosion was heard from another part of the castle, but they were too busy glaring at each other to even notice it. And since the explosion was louder than the earthquake they've caused, practically nobody in the castle must have even heard of it. The noise of the cracking ground blended in through the sound of the mighty explosion.

Hyosuke flew away to a safe distance and glared at Laxus, trying to figure out what to do. Nothing he's doing is working on this bastard. Usually, he would have finished this battle by now, but _damn_! This guy is way too strong. '_But not strong enough._' he added in his thoughts. This guy had to have some opening, some weakness. There had to be something, _anything_. But seriously, he wasn't like any of the people he fought before. He wasn't swallowed up in anger. He wasn't seeking revenge or anything. He just wants to win this fight and go home. He's showing an indifferent emotion right now. And he doesn't seem to care what's going to happen. He's just like Addei. This guy just_ knows_ he's going to win. And Hyosuke was starting to think that he actually will.

Laxus just kept on glaring at the man in front of him. Man, this guy wasn't bad. But he wondered why he was holding back? Yes, Laxus knows he's holding back. Even though he only first met him a while ago, he knew he was a really strong mage. He felt that extremely strong aura that was emitting a large amount of magical power. But he wasn't showing it. The question is, why? Did he think he could take care of him without using any of it? Heh, cocky bastard. But he should realize by now that he can't. By now, this guy should now that Laxus was indeed the real deal. And he was definitely not someone to be taken lightly. So he would probably start fighting with all he's got. So Laxus knew that he better start preparing for the worst, even though he doesn't really know what to expect from this guy. He wasn't even sure what kind of magic he's using. Because he was sure that it can _not_ be Take Over magic. He may not be _that_ smart but he smart enough to know that small fact. But this Hyosuke guy's probably gonna transform into something like Mira's Satan Soul. He knew that much.

Hyosuke sighed. Well, no choice then. He didn't really want it to come to this. But he had to win, no matter what it takes. Orders were orders. The king's wish was his command. And he'll have to do whatever it takes to win this battle. And he can't do that if he keeps on using the amount of magical power he's using right now. Besides, it wasn't just for the king. He was doing this for Adora too. He's been expecting them. He knew it was them. Kiyomi had found out about it and he was the first one to find out. And he was actually the only one to find out. They decided to keep this all as secret from the others. But both of them swore to _take care_ of Adora's old friends for what they did to her.

But he seriously didn't think he'll need to use _that_. He _never_ thought he'll _ever_ use _that_ ever again. The last time he used it . . . Hyosuke felt a shiver ran up his spine. Thankfully, Laxus didn't seem to notice. God, it was hell. But if this guy's going to play rough, then he better do the same. It's time to show this bastard why he's the strongest man in the SSS. He just wished he won't lose control this time.

"Shit's about to get serious." he snarled and a giant magic circle formed on top of him. Laxus stepped back in shock. What the hell's going on?

Hyosuke can transform into monsters. That was true. But it wasn't mainly because of his magic. It was because of his DNA. The people here had inserted the DNA of the most frightening monsters they could find into him. And with the help of some magical power and a little training to get used to it, he was able to transform into any of the monsters that his blood holds. But he was only able to master transforming into some strong monsters. But there were ones more powerful than that, he lost control and nearly destroyed the entire kingdom because it somehow took over him. Because it's like it wasn't only the DNA of those monsters were transferred to him. Even their very thoughts. That's why he became so violent and vicious. Sometimes he could even hear some faint whispers wherever he goes. But in time he got used to them. But he still wished that they would go away.

He swore he would never turn into any of those ever again. But he had to make an exception.

He started to grow in size. Black scales appeared from his skin. His tail grew longer and wider and was also starting to grow scales, the same goes with his wings. He kept growing until he wasn't even able to fit the hallway and smashed the wall next to him and headed outside the castle where he was able to grow even more. Laxus' eyes widened. Because before him, stood a black dragon. It was almost as big as Acnologia was, but it was still huge. Every part of its body was covered in black scales and the only part of his body that had a different color than that was his beady red eyed.

This was Hyosuke's strongest form. He had the DNA of the most powerful creature that was injected to his blood. The reason why he almost destroyed a kingdom years ago. He had the DNA of a dragon. He heard it took them decades to achieve it, and he was chosen to be the one to have it. But he had barely managed to survive after being injected with it. And he took hundreds of lives because he transformed into it. And now, he was using it to face Laxus. He started to wonder as he started to lose consciousness; will it all even be worth it? There was no way this guy would survive after facing his strongest transformation. The battle is over. The results of it had been decided the very moment he found him. He inwardly smirked. And with that, he lost consciousness and the DNA of the dragon took over. It let out a mighty roar, piercing through the ears of all who was inside the castle or even near it.

"Damn . . ." Laxus muttered his eyes wide. He had to admit it. But this was much more than what he bargained for. He really didn't expect the guy he was fighting to be an actual dragon. But seriously, he can't imagine the look on the other dragon slayers' face when they find out about this. He smirked, but first he'd have to beat this thing up before he can tell them about it.

He activated Dragon Force, activating all his Dragon Slayer powers.

That's right; he wasn't just some lightning mage. He was a lightning Dragon Slayer. And he was a pretty damn strong one at that. And in front of him right now was a dragon. It's not as big as Acnologia, so it must mean that he's not as strong as it either. So if there's anyone who can beat the crap out of this part dragon, part human thing, it was him.

"Alright, punk!" he yelled making sure he can hear him. "COME AT ME!"

* * *

Rogue and Sting landed hard on the ground with a loud to thud. They were both covered in injuries and are now barely able to stand up. A cloud of dust surrounded them, so they're now unable to see their opponent.

"Geez," a female voice piped up. "I thought you guys'll be much more of a challenge."

"Well, at least their cute." another female voice said.

The smoke cleared and revealed Kiyomi, Galan and Mia standing, without even a single scratch on their body. They had ambushed the two Sabertooth dragon slayers. Mia had wanted to fight them head on, but Kiyomi insisted on saving their energy for other opponents so they simply caught them by surprise. Before either Sting or even Rogue knew it, they were covered in blood and could barely stand.

"Well, that was really boring." Mia whined. "I wanted to have a little fun."

Kiyomi just frowned. She had learned a few days ago that Adora's old friends were coming here. She didn't know why, but they were coming. Only these guys weren't the_ friends_ she was expecting. She was sure of that. Kiyomi wanted to face those people. Then, she and Hyosuke will do Adora a favor and beat them up. After that, the only thing left to do is to convince her to stay. And she couldn't afford to waste time with these two.

"C'mon, let's look for other trespassers." Kiyomi told them.

"Maybe we should split up." Mia suggested. "Galan, you go that way and me and Kiyomi will go this way."

Galan merely nodded and was about to leave when Kiyomi stopped him.

"Wait! What about these guys." Kiyomi pointed to Sting and Rogue who were trying to get up. Galan nodded and then a magic circle appeared above the two of them. Sting and Rogue slammed back to the ground and were unconscious in a second. Lector and Frosch were the same, but they've been unconscious before they could even watch their partners get beaten up.

"Thanks. Now, let's go." Kiyomi told them and they mad their separate ways.

* * *

Laxus was breathing heavily. His body was covered in blood and wounds. Right now, he was barely able to stand and he was out of magical power. He looked like he was about to faint from the pain and exhaustion, but he didn't. He stood there, but his opponent lay in front of him.

He won.

It took every amount of magical energy he had, but he won. He fell to his knees and tried to regain his energy. Damn, that was one hell of a fight. This guy sure gave him a hard time, but he actually managed to beat him. Laxus stared at Hyosuke, he was also breathing heavily and he was barely conscious. He had already transformed back to his human form, since he also already ran out of magical energy.

"I . . . lost, huh." he said.

"Damn right." Laxus said, they were both still trying to regain their breath.

"You're . . pretty damn strong."

"I know I am." Laxus said, and stood up after regaining enough energy. He stood and began to walk away, but with his sensitive hearing, he heard Hyosuke say something to himself. It was obviously not directed for him. But he listened, nonetheless.

"I lost . . . . I'm sorry . . Kiyomi . . . Even though I promised . . . . I'm sorry . . . Adora . . Lu-"

Before he could finish, it seems that he already lost consciousness. Once he transforms into a dragon, he'll lose consciousness for days, even weeks. It really depends. But as of now, he can only hope that they'll win. On the other hand, Laxus was wondering what he meant by that. Kiyomi was this guy's girlfriend or something, but Adora? Didn't he say she was a little girl?

Laxus thought about it for a second. A little girl? Someone who hates being here? Could it have been that princess Natsu ran into? But it wasn't her real name. He recalled that Hyosuke was going to say her real name before. But he got impatient since he just wanted to get out of here. Damn, he should really listen to others more. But for now, that's not important. What's important is that he finds the others. If he was barely able to beat Hyosuke, what more could the others do with this guy's friends?

He shouldn't focus on trivial matters right now, what's important is that he gives the others a hand to kick some of these bastards' ass.

* * *

**Well, I hope you guys liked it!** **Please review!**

**Oh, and there might be a delay for the chapters of my other stories, Misunderstanding and Battle of Angels and Fairies. So for all of you who're supporting those, please be patient! And those who aren't, please support it!**

**Sorry if I made any mistakes. And a little advice on the possible powers of the other SSS members will be greatly appreciated.**

**RnR!**


	10. Natsu vs Kazuki

**Gotta say, this really took me some time to write. I keep having writer's block. **

**Oh, and this chapter won't have much action, because I find it really difficult to write fighting scenes. Sorry about that.**

* * *

Addei? Addei! Guys! Hyosuke? Kiyomi? Galan? Mia? Aeschylus? Kazuki? Anyone!" Lucy knocked the door as hard as she can with Adora's tiny fists, trying to call for help. She was about to go and see if her friends were alright, but she couldn't open the door. She felt a magical aura around the room, so she was definitely locked in using magic. Plus, a while ago she tried to go out through the window, but she was blocked by runes.

"Someone! Anyone!" she cried, tears staring to stream down her face. "Please . . ."

She fell to her knees, and she started to sob. What was going on? What was that explosion? And why did Addei lock her up. Lucy knew she was the one who did it. There were only two people who can make runes in this place. And they were Addei and Kiyomi. And Addei was the one who escorted her here. Why would she do that? Did she do it to protect her? Then that would mean no one could enter the room either. But was this really necessary? Well, she had no way to protect herself anyway.

_You're both weak and pathetic! _Natsu's voice resounded in her head. ___If you're just gonna be some damsel in distress all the time you might as well have stayed with your dad!_

Lucy shook her head and covered her ears, hoping that she could stop hearing the dragon slayer's voice. It was true that she loved him, but recalling him yelling at her with pure hatred and anger just makes her heart break even more. Even though she was sure it had already been completely shattered by him that night.

Lucy's hands fell from her ears to her shoulders as she leaned on the door and began trembling. He was right. She was never able to protect herself, ever. She had always been a damsel in distress. Everything Natsu had said was right. Why hadn't she realized this earlier? She was weak and pathetic and is better off in that horrid mansion with her father, miserable, than be in Fairy Tail as a mage when she can't even do anything. She could never compare to anyone there. Ever since she came here, she wished that Natsu would come and save her already, but now . . .

She wished that he'll never come.

If he didn't, then he could be at the guild with everyone else. And Lisanna.

Maybe there, he'll be as happy as she was whenever he was with her. He'll smile as brightly as she did whenever they enjoyed each other's company. Maybe he'll live happily ever after with the one he loves the most like how she dreamed, only in reality, that person is Lisanna.

It was better this way, wasn't it? She had been selfish and consumed in jealousy. She deserved it. This was her punishment. To rot in this hell hole. But . . . she supposed it wouldn't be so bad. By now, Lucy had stopped crying and was deep in thought. Though her eyes were red and puffy and there were still tears in her face since she hasn't wiped them off yet. She hugged her knees and stared at the floor while leaning on the door. She thought about the prince and his offer.

Maybe she should accept it.

At least then, she'd be able to stay with the friends she has here, even though there were only a few of them. And she'd be able to stay away from Fairy Tail. And they all could live a peaceful life without her. Plus, the prince will give her a very strong amount of magical power so she can grow stronger, the same way the SSS got theirs, and she would be able to protect the ones she loved. Yes, if she _did_ accept his offer, everyone will be happy.

A happily ever after in a fairy tale. But just like every other story, someone has to be miserable in the end. Not everyone can be happy in the ending. Someone has to make a sacrifice in order for the main characters to be happy. Like in the fairy tales, Cinderella's step sisters were jealous of her, so they didn't get to marry the prince; the Seven Dwarves had to let Snow White go so she can be with her prince, Rapunzel's parents never got to see their daughter grow into a beautiful woman. And right now, she was in the same situation as those people. She was jealous of Lisanna so she won't be able to have her prince, she had to let go of the one she loves the most so he can be happy, and she may never see him again but she'll know that maybe someday he'll be happy even without her. And maybe it will even be more sooner than later.

She wiped her eyes as more tears started to pour. She really did deserve this didn't she? She was selfish and had wanted Natsu all to herself. She had been so jealous of Lisanna and had wanted her dead. This was her punishment. And it wasn't so bad if you focus on the positive. If this didn't happen, she would have never have met any of the SSS. She would still have been suffering right now, burning in jealousy and thinking selfish thoughts. At least now, her eyes were opened to the truth. Maybe things really did happen for a reason. So there must be a reason why she's being given such an offer from the prince.

She stood up and made her way towards her bed.

She has decided.

She'll accept the offer of the prince and stay here for the rest of her life. It's not completely a happy ending, but it was close enough. She lay there thinking of her first love and who may be her last. He really had done so much for her. He gave her a family, made her dream come true, and even saved her life multiple times.

"Natsu . . ." she whispered. "Thank you . . . for everything."

Then she was swallowed up in exhaustion and finally surrendered to sleep.

* * *

Natsu stopped in his tracks and turned around, a mixture of shock and confusion in his face.

"Natsu! What's wrong?" Happy questioned.

He was silent for a moment. "Nothing . . . I just thought that I heard something."

"Eh? What do you think it was?"

Natsu shrugged. "Probably nothing. My ears must be playing tricks on me or something."

"If you say so."

"Well then, it must be hunger that's causing it." the two flinched and turned around to see some guy with spiky brown hair and was dressed like a cook and he was holding two frying pans. He had a huge and determined grin on his face. "What can I get you? Do you like appetizers? Or shall we just head on to the main course? Do you like meat? If so, which do you prefer? Chicken or ham? How about some fish and milk for your cat?"

"Fish!" Happy yelled.

"Oi! Happy! Wait a second!" Natsu told him.

"Oh? Don't worry Pinky-san! There's plenty enough for the both of you!"

Natsu felt a vein pop on his forehead. "Who're you calling Pinky?" he yelled.

"Eh? But it really suits you!"

"What's that supposed to mean."

"It's quite interesting. You have a really rare hair color."

"Shut up!"

"It's quite nice. Well, for girls. But don't you find it quite shameful to have it, knowing you're a guy?"

"Something like that doesn't matter! I'm still awesome, one way or another!"

"Aye! You tell him Natsu!" Happy sheered.

The man cocked an eyebrow at the two but then smiled again. "Such an energetic duo. I wish some of my friends were more like you."

"Eh?" the two stared at him confused.

"Ah, never mind." he said, a smile returning to his face. "So what would you like? First order's on the house."

"FISH!" Happy yelled.

"Ah, wait Happy!" Natsu said, a bit confused. "Weren't we here for a mission?"

It took a few seconds before Happy could get the thought of fish out of his head and process Natsu's words. "Ah, that's right!"

"A mission?" they turned around to see the man offering them food was staring at them a bit confused.

"Wait, who is this guy, anyway?" the blue neko wondered out loud. "A servant here, maybe? The cook?"

"Yeah! You're right! Who are you, anyway?" Natsu asked, his anger and annoyance was replaced with confusion.

"Ah, that's right. How rude of me." he said, realizing he hasn't given a proper introduction. "I am Kazuki. The Gluttonous Soul of the SSS."

Natsu's eyes widened. "The SSS?"

"Yeah." he nodded. "The Seven Sinful Souls."

Happy flinched. "Natsu! That guy's one of the bodyguards!"

"Ah, that's right." he nodded, he still had a nonchalant smile on his face. "Sorry for the late intro and all. But I'm also one of the head chefs here. So I take every chance I get to serve food."

Natsu pretended as if he didn't hear him. The Seven Sinful Souls. The reason why they were here. He was silent as he recalled what had happened only about a month ago. His bangs covered his eyes as he gritted his teeth.

"Eh? Is something wrong?"

"You . . ." the Salamander spoke, his voice was full of malice. Anger started to overcome him.

Happy had tears forming in the corner of his eyes as realization hit him. "You were the ones who attacked Magnolia . . ."

"Oh, heaven's no!" Kazuki corrected. "We haven't been to Fiore yet. The prince was the one who attacked your city. It's a funny coincidence that I'm very familiar with that city."

There was still a silence from the two. "Ah, but we will be going to Fiore in about a month so we can claim it as a part of our country."

But his grin was wiped off of his face when Natsu threw a flaming punch to his face. He landed a few meters away, on the floor with a 'thud'.

"Oh, so I see you're not hungry anymore." he smiled rubbing his cheek that was hit.

"You guys were the cause of it! How could you? You took lives and yet talk about it like you have no regrets at all."

"It was just a few worthless people. If they were truly worthy of living, they wouldn't have lost their lives." Kazuki stood up, both his expression and his voice was serious.

"They shouldn't have died! None of them should have died! They deserved to live!" he shouted, flames were now surrounding him. "_She_ deserved to live!"

Kazuki stared at him in confusion. "_She_?"

"You damn bastards!" the fire mage yelled. "I'll burn you all to ashes!"

He charged towards the SSS member and started throwing flaming punches and kicks. Kazuki managed to block them easily. He eyed the fire mage, wondering who he had been referring to just a moment ago. While blocking his attacks, his mind somehow managed to drift off in a memory, something that happened only about two weeks ago.

_FLASHBACK_

_Kazuki was cooking a meal for Galan and Adora. Galan was lying on the floor taking a nap, while Adora was sitting at the table, watching him._

_"Ne, Adora-chan." he said, trying to start a conversation._

_"Hm?" the said girl snapped out of her thoughts._

_"Aren't you about 17 already?"_

_"Yeah, why?"_

_"So you know how to cook, right?"_

_"Eh? Well . . ." she thought for a moment. "I'm not that good at cooking. Meanwhile, yours is amazing!"_

_Kazuki turned to face her; a proud grin was plastered in his face. "Why of course. My cooking _is_ in fact amazing, if not the best!"_

_Adora giggled. "But, you don't mind cooking for us, do you?"_

_"Of course not!" he shouted. "I'd feel incredibly useless if I didn't cook! And my day will definitely not be complete if I didn't cook at least 50 dishes every day!"_

_"THAT MUCH?"_

_"Of course. And since I'm always hungry, in order to distract myself from my hunger and not eat the castle's entire food supply, I cook. That way, I don't eat anything and please others, plus I get to be near the one thing I love the most all the time."_

_"I-I see . . ." Adora sweat dropped._

_"Why did you ask, by the way?"_

_"Well, I used to cook for my friends all the time. And I was always annoyed by it."_

_"Your friends?"_

_"Yeah."_

_"Do you mind telling me a little about them?" _

_"No, of course not." she smiled and then told him all about her life back at her home. Back at Fairy Tail. She told him about Magnolia, her apartment, her magic, the guild, all of her friends, and all of the adventures they had. She even told him about the incident when she supposedly _died_. Kazuki listened intently, very interested about the girl's background. _

_By the time she finished telling her story, Kazuki was already finished cooking. Galan woke up and started eating at an alarming rate. Kazuki started doing the same, gorging all of the food he cooked, they were barely leaving any food for Adora, but she didn't seem to mind. She watched them as she ate a slice of chocolate cake. The twenty plates of food were soon empty and even licked clean be less than thirty minutes. Kazuki was rubbing his belly while Galan went back to sleep._

_Adora giggled at them. Kazuki simply blinked. "What?"_

_"Nothing, it's just that . . ." she said, but then she shook her head. "Never mind."_

_He just shrugged and continued rubbing his belly. "Hey, Adora."_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Why _were_ you chosen?"_

_There was a silence._

_"I . . . guess it's my fault." she said. She stared at the floor, avoiding eye contact with her face bearing a sad expression._

_"Is it about him?" Kazuki asked leaning over to her. "What's his name again? Nick? Nash? Nate? "_

_She giggled. "Natsu."_

_"Oh, yeah." he smiled. "So, what's he like?"  
_

_"Well, he has spiky pink hair-" before she could continue, Kazuki let out a giggle. _

_"Pink hair? How pathetic!"_

_Adora simply smiled back. "Anyway, he has fierce black eyes, he always wear a scaly white scarf, and he has a flying blue cat for a companion. Oh, and he's also a fire mage. He can be a real idiot sometimes, but when he gets serious he can be real strong and a bit scary,_ actually."

FLASHBACK END

'_A scaly scarf? Check. Pink hair? Check. Flying cat companion? Check. Fire mage?_' his thoughts were cut off when Natsu unleashed his fire dragon's roar. Kazuki was able to dodge it; the fire burned the carpet and the wallpaper on the walls. '_Double check._'

"Oi! Calm down, will you?" he said perfectly calm.

"How the hell can you tell me to calm down!" Natsu yelled, the fire surrounding him grew. "You damn bastard. Because of you-"

"I wasn't the one who killed Lucy." he dead-panned. "In fact, weren't you the one who hurt her the most?"

Natsu's eyes widened and his fire was extinguished. He stared at him in a mixture of shock and confusion. Happy wasn't doing any better at hiding his emotions either. The little blue cat had the same expression on his face, but he also had tears forming in the corner of his eyes.

"Wh-what the hell are you-!"

"Will you stop getting mad at others for something they didn't do?" he said, a serious expression in his face that showed signs of both anger and annoyance. Right now, he was acting very differently compared to his usual cheerful and nonchalant behavior. "I wasn't the one who killed her. So why are you mad at me?"

His face grew even more serious and he started glaring at the fire mage. "Lucy wasn't the reason Lisanna almost fell off a cliff and almost died. So why were you mad at her?"

At this, Natsu was even more shocked and confused. He stepped back as he started to feel the same guilt he felt every day since that incident.

"You didn't have to yell at her like that. You know, that was a really harsh thing to say to your _best friend_." he added.

"N-Natsu! What's he talking about?" Happy asked. Natsu hadn't told anybody. Nobody knew about his outburst. Not even Happy. So how could some guy he just met know about that?

"You're such an idiot you know that?" Kazuki continued. "Lucy was so hurt. But then again, you _have_ been hurting her for some time now."

"Sh-shut up!" Natsu yelled. His flames started reappearing and surrounding his body once again. "Don't you dare talk like you know how she felt like! Like you know what she went through!"

"But I do." Kazuki said, still bearing a serious expression. "She told me about it, herself."

"Wh-WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" he yelled, getting angrier by the second. "Sh-she died a month ago!"

"Oh really?" Kazuki simply smirked and cocked an eyebrow at him. "Do you even know about our country? We use black magic every day! Magic that breaks the very laws of magic!"

Natsu and Happy were still speechless.

"What? You still haven't figured it out?" he smirked. "We resurrected her."

Natsu's eyes widened. "What . . ?"

"Lucy's . . . alive?" Happy asked, equally shocked as Natsu was.

"Well, technically, she was kind of reincarnated or something like that." Kazuki said, returning to his usual nonchalant behavior. "But, yeah. She's pretty much alive. She told me all about you two. What a huge coincidence that you were the ones attacking our-"

He was cut off by a battle shout, and a flaming fist connected to his face, sending him flying. But he still managed to land on his feet.

"Shut up!" he shouted stepping towards him, Kazuki didn't do anything about it and simply stared at him. "Is she really alive? Did you really bring her back to life?"

When his opponent didn't answer, Natsu grabbed him by the collar. "Answer me, DAMMIT!"

"Why in the world would I lie to you?" Kazuki said, maintaining an expressionless face. "Yes, she is alive, and yes, we did indeed resurrect her."

Natsu's grip on his collar tightened. "Then where is she? Tell me, NOW!"

"No way." then Natsu was sent flying to the wall. Only he didn't land on the floor, he was just stuck there. Natsu observed his body and realized that there were knives that hit his clothes and kept him stuck on the wall. None of them punctured his skin, however.

"Natsu~! Are you alright?" Happy asked flying towards him to try and help.

"Yeah, I'm just stuck." he said, and Happy started pulling the knives out.

"Well, even though I don't really like you- well scratch that, I _despise_ you! But I guess I _should_ be grateful that you came." the brown haired man said with a smile. "She's been waiting for you."

Happy and Natsu looked at him with wide eyes. This guy was just full of surprises, huh? "She kept saying that her friends would come and save her. She kept saying that _you_ would come and save her."

Kazuki chuckled. "She really trusted us very much. She's bit naive, but such a nice girl. She told us everything about you." His expression turned serious once again. "Natsu Dragneel."

"Lucy . . . who are you to her?"

"Oh, nothing. I'm just a friend."

"Why the hell will she be friends with you?" he shouted. If he wasn't pinned to the wall right now, he would've charged right towards this guy and sent him flying again. But Happy was almost done taking the knives off, so he's pretty sure he'll be able to do that pretty soon.

"Well, probably because she's lonely. So, now you know she's alive, I bet you're just gonna go on and take her from here and bring her back to that guild of yours, huh? What was it? _Fairy Tail_?"

Natsu was finally free from the knives, thanks to Happy, and he lande on the ground. "Of course I'll take her back. It's only natural for me to do that." he said, not even looking up. "She's my nakama! My best friend. Of course I'm going to bring her back!"

Natsu looked up and started glaring at him. "Where is she? After I beat you up, I'm going to go get her!"

"Pfft, like I'm going to tell you just because you asked." Kazuki said. "We don't resurrect everybody we kill, you know. Lucy isn't like any other girl. She isn't like any other person. She's chosen. Lucy is very special. So I'm not just going to let you have her."

"She's not supposed to be here in this hell hole! She should be with us with all her friends! She's supposed to be with her family, where she belongs! Not suffering here!"

"Oh, you know her so well, don't you?" Kazuki smiled. "She also thinks this is a 'hell hole'. And I guess she really does want to go back with you."

Natsu just continued to glare at the man, not bothering to reply. "Well she really is loved, back at your guild, isn't she? You can say that she is loved here too. I guess she really is '_Adora_' indeed. But since she's also loved here, and she has some friends, surely it won't make any difference whether she stays here or not. So why not save the trouble-"

He was cut off when Natsu threw a flaming kick at him. Kazuki was able to block the attack, though. It was strange how he was able to block Natsu's flaming attacks without getting burned or even injured.

He pushed Natsu back and the fire mage landed on his feet. "She's coming with us!"

"Not in my watch!" Kazuki yelled back and they both charged towards each other. Natsu then shot fire towards his opponent. But then Kazuki waved one of the frying pans he was holding in front of him and then the fire was extinguished before it could even reach him.

"Wh-what . . ?" Natsu asked dumbfounded and then he started to continuously shoot fire at his opponent. But every time it was about to reach Kazuki, he just waves his frying pan in front of him and then the fire will be extinguish.

He giggled faintly, that won't work on me, Pinky." He said then suddenly the air around him changed. It was black. It wasn't his aura or anything that was black, it was the actual air.

"Well, I guess you can say that I'm an air mage. But all I do is change the air around me, it's different forms and fragrances also give different effects. But I don't think it's really perfume magic though. I only like my magic because scent is very important. You'll know how a dish tastes like if you smell it." Kazuki explained. "Also, one of the forms the air has is the coldness. So once I change the air around your fire and turn its temperature down, the fire will be extinguished. It's as simple as that."

"No way your stupid magic can stop me!" Natsu yelled and continued to shoot fire at him. Kazuki kept extinguishing it. Then he sent air blades at Natsu, which he managed to dodge, but only a bit. Thankfully, it only damaged his clothes. Kazuki changed the air around Natsu and the fire mage could now smell a disgusting odor. It left him coughing and almost barfing. Kazuki took this chance to tackle him, but Natsu managed to shoot fire at him. The SSS member wasn't able to dodge nor block it or even extinguish it and he was left a bit scorched.

"Fire Dragon's Claw!" he yelled and they both started to send powerful attacks. Kazuki change the fragrance of the air, making them poisonous and deadly. But he can only turn a certain amount of air like that. So Natsu always had a chance to dodge it.

Attack after attack, Air versus wind. Kazuki kept blocking Natsu's attacks while Natsu kept dodging his. Kazuki was getting scorched by his flames, Natsu was getting wounded as well. But they were far from finished.

Natsu sent a fire dragon's roar. Kazuki quickly waved both of the frying pans in his hand and the fire was extinguished, but not all of it. Some of Natsu's flames managed to scorch his body. The man winced in pain but managed to regain his composure. The extinguished flames caused a great amount of steam to appear around him.

Kazuki frantically looked around him, trying to detect his opponent. He managed to do it once he heard Natsu's battle cry. But it was a little too late. He got hit in the stomach by a flaming fist and was sent flying. But he gathered the air around him and it managed to cushion him before he hit the wall So he landed on the ground without getting hurt.

Natsu glared at the man in front of him as he landed safely on his feet, Kazuki then started to do the same. They both just glared at each other for a few moments before Natsu charged towards him and Kazuki soon did the same.

This battle was just beginning. Both were fighting for the same person. Both thought that they were doing what's best for that person. But whether which one of them is really right and really knows what's best for her, that's not what's going to decide the victor. They were going to have to go all out. Just like How Erza, Laxus, Hyosuke, and Addei did. But as of now, their comrades were the last thing in their mind. Right now, what's important is that they win this battle, complete their mission, and keep Adora/Lucy away from the other.

Nothing else mattered right now, everything else was irrelevant. They paid no mind in all the other things around them. Even Happy was left forgotten, as he trembled in the corner for fear of his life. Both just wanted to win that badly.

But of course, they can't both be winners.

* * *

**Well, hope you guys liked it. Please review and PLEASE give me some advice on the SSS' powers. Kazuki's powers was initially supposed to be ex-quip magic like Erza. Only he re-quips food. That is, until I figured that it was extremely ridiculous. Actually, the fact that Kazuki was the one who's gonna fight Natsu was ridiculous from the beginning if you ask me.**

**It sounded a lot more cooler in my head, believe me. Kazuki was supposed to block Natsu's fire with large pieces of meat that were floating . . . . Yeah, that's about the same time I realized how ridiculous that sounded. Sorry, I've been watching a lot of comedy shows recently. It's one of the reasons why I haven't been able to update.**

**Giving him air magic . . . I was just desperate. It was supposed to have something to do with Gluttony, but I couldn't think of anything. Please save me before I give the other members even more ridiculous powers and make them sound pathetic. They're supposed to be strong.**

**Also, I was wondering wether or not if I should change some things here. Like the rating and the genre. Or even the title. Tell me what you think.**

**BTW, Kazuki's line: "I guess she really is '_Adora_' indeed." I made it a pun, I guess. I was bored and couldn't think of what else he could say. Adora means: loved child. **

**RnR !**

**RnR !**


	11. Jura vs Aeschylus or Artemis

**Well, here's chapter two people! Hope you guys enjoy it!**

**Oh, and there was this guest comment:**

Um, why have Natsu getting mad at Lucy for being "weak"? It's completely out of character for him.

Second, watch your tenses. The start of chapter 2 was in present tense, while chapter 1 was in past. It's really, really, hard to get into a story when tenses randomly change.

Third, would you please put a manga spoiler warning in the summary and/or first chapter? I only watch the anime on Crunchyroll. Thanks.

Finally, the summary makes your plot sound like it has potential, so good luck on this fic. I'm not going to read it since I don't want to risk spoiling the plot of the anime. Plus the screwed up tenses make it hard to read.

**First of all, I guess I made it a bit OOC, but a lot of people here do that, right? I mean, they make Lisanna a villain! And even make Natsu romantic! And I guess I'm trying to combine it with the plot I got form GTDB**. **Sorry.**

**Second, chapter one is mostly about the flashback, so that's the reason I guess.**

**Third, I've fixed that. Sorry, I'm still kinda new here. I don't get why people do those, things like Disclaimer and stuff.**

**Finally, sorry and it's alright. **

**Yeah, he/she probably won't he able to read this right now. But in the future, he might. Plus this may answer some of YOUR questions. I'm sorry for all the mistakes I've done so far. Please tell me if I did any other mistakes.**

* * *

"Hmph. This is really troublesome." Jura grumbled to himself as he looked at the ground and wandered aimlessly through the empty hallways, there was still no sign of any possible threat anywhere. In fact there wasn't any sign of anyone anywhere, so far. Though he had heard some explosions, mini earthquakes, and battle cries, he still couldn't find where it came from. He tried to follow the noises in hopes to find one of the SSS fighting his comrades so he can lend them a hand, but when he gets there, he just finds an empty hallway. There were signs that people were fighting, of course, but there was no one there. It had happened three times already. For now, he can only pray that his allies had won the fight. Now, if only he could find any of the SSS so he could be of some use.

"Excuse me, mister." he heard someone and he quickly looked up to see a man with green hair approaching him. "You look like a smart man. I wish I was smart too. But only Addei and Kiyomi are smart in our little group."

"Eh?" Jura stared at the young man, confused. " . . um . . . who are you?"

"Ah, that's right." he said, his voice sounded both lifeless and emotionless. "You really are smart. I just completely forgot about introducing myself. I'm sorry."

'S-so depressing' Jura sweat dropped. " . . um . . . it's alright. Now, really, who are you?"

"Me?" the man asked pointing a finger at himself. "I'm Aeschylus. The Envious Soul of the SSS."

"SSS?" Jura looked up in shock. "As in, the Seven Sinful Souls?"

He nodded. "The king's loyal bodyguards."

" Well then, I apologize for the rudeness, but you must be an enemy of mine. I am Jura, a wizard saint from the guild, Lamia Scale."

"Really?" Aeschylus sighed. His voice and his expression can both still be described as lifeless and emotionless. "Just when I thought I was going to make a new friend. Mia could make a lot of friends, so why can't I?"

" . . . um . . . I'm sorry, but . . ."

"It's alright. You must be from Fiore, right?" he said, but it's more like a rhetorical question. "Well, it's also my mission to defeat you. But then again, you said you were a wizard saint, right? I heard they were really strong. The strongest in your country. I don't think I'm even a match for you. Do I even stand a chance? I'm so pathetic. But I still have to fight you, though. Since the king ordered me to. So I can't give up. Even though I already know I'm gonna lose. I guess I still have to try my best."

"W-well then . . " Jura didn't really know what to do right now. It just seemed wrong to just simply attack him right now. He's just too depressing. But he sure is a bit talkative.

"Well? Shall I make the first move, or do you want to?"

"I . . . well . . you can- just-! Look, you can make the first move. Just-" The wizard saint was speechless. It wasn't everyday that an enemy asked if he can attack first or not.

"Wow, you really are a nice person mister." the green haired man looked at him, his eyes widening, but only a bit. "You're strong, smart, and a nice person."

His face then suddenly showed a bit seriousness. "If only I'm the same as you." In a split second, he tackled Jura sending punches and kicks at the man. Jura kept dodging and blocking his attacks, though. Aeschylus still hasn't used magic yet. Jura took his staff and hit the young man with it.

"Gah!" Aeschylus cried in pain. But he quickly regained his composure and backed up a bit as he glared at Jura, which actually sent shivers down his spine. "You even have a talent when it comes to hand-to-hand combat despite your age. You really are impressive. I wish I was just like you."The young man kept a serious expression on his face.

Jura, however, didn't bother to wait for him to attack again. He sent stone pillars at his opponent. But before any of them could hit Aeschylus, they were cut in half and crashed onto the ground.

"Wh-what?" Jura looked at him in shock. But he snapped out of his daze and created spikes from the ground that Aeschylus was standing on. But the spike all avoided his opponent for some reason.

"What in the wor-" But before he can continue, someone was strangling him from behind. He choked and gasped for breath.

"Ah, I'm so ashamed." the green haired man said. "Everyone is always better than me. Everyone is always stronger than me."

He paused and then looked at Jura in a terrifyingly creepy way. "Even my own shadow is better than me."

"Y-your . . . own" he choked and gasped. " . . shadow . ?"

"Yeah." he nodded. Then the one who was strangling him stopped. Jura tried to regain his breath as he fell to his knees.

"Meet Artemis. My shadow."

Jura looked up to see Aeschylus was indeed referring to his shadow. But that shadow had a wicked smile on his face and also had green eyes that were glowing. Furthermore, Aeschylus was rubbing his elbow while staring solemnly at Jura, while the shadow was above him, smiling wickedly, its nails were really sharp and it was also in a fighting stance.

"Artemis, can you finish him off? Cause I'm sure I can't."

The shadow flew towards Jura, he tried to stop it with his earth magic, but it had no effect. Artemis hit Jura with all it's got and that left him lying on the ground coughing up blood. Aeschylus watched his shadow do all that in pure amazement. And he found Artemis right behind him, still smiling wickedly.

"Wow, that was amazing." he complimented. He heard a faint giggle that sounded ghostly. However, Jura certainly didn't.

"_Why thank you. But really it was my pleasure. You know how much I love the sight of people being tortured._" a feminine voice said. Yes, Aeschylus' shadow is female. The two of them have a lot of things they don't have in common. Aeschylus was always shy, depressed, lifeless, and he didn't really care to watch people suffer. Artemis was a sadist, pure evil, and she always _loved_ to see people suffer.

Meanwhile, Jura didn't hear the voice, only Aeschylus can. That was his power. His shadow was indeed incredibly powerful. But he had lost control over her a long time ago. Artemis was the one in charge now. And the only other person she listens to is the prince.

"_Now then, why don't we finish him off?_" she let out an evil laugh. "_Be a good little boy and do it yourself, won't you? You'll be able to learn a thing or two afterwards. And don't worry, I'll be aiding you. I would also like to take part in seeing this miserable old geezer die. He's not even a match for me. He deserves to die._"

"Yeah, if you think he should die, then I guess he really does deserve to die." he whispered. "But he said he's a wizard saint, though. Wizard saints are supposed to be the strongest mages in Fiore."

He heard her scoff. "_Wizard saint my ass! I was able to beat him just now! So I suppose that'll mean that we'll be able to take over Fiore so easily. Their mages are so weak after all! But I must admit, this one's a bit tricky. You might have a hard time defeating him, but I know you can do it._"

"Yeah, maybe I do stand a chance against him, after all." he said, smiling a bit.

_"A chance? Hah! You can beat him any day! Just do what I say, okay? And everything will be just fine._"

Aeschylus nodded. Jura watched his opponent in confusion. Was he talking? Well, obviously not to him. To his shadow? Nah, imposible.

"_We're going to use _that_._" Aeschylus flinched. His eyes widened, and he started sweating bullets.

"B-but . . "

"_I know it'll be hard for you, but we have no choice. Orders are orders. Now do it!_"

Aeschylus took a step back. Fear surrounded him. Not fear of his enemy, but fear of himself. Or rather, his other self.

"I mustn't lose!" Jura said.

"_Quick! Do it now, before it's too late!_"

"I-I . . " he looked around, not sure what exactly it was he was looking for. Until he finally gave in and did what his shadow told him to do.

"Fine!" he yelled. Then a huge magic circle appeared above him as he screamed. Smoke filled the air and it seems to be coming out of his skin and a very bright glow was also being emitted from his body. Jura shielded himself with stone pillars he created using his Earth Magic just in case.

But nothing happened. The glow faded, smoke disappeared, and so did the magic circle. Jura put the pillars away and looked at his opponent. His eyes widened in shock and a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead.

There, where Aeschylus supposedly stood, was a woman. She wore the same clothes as he did, she had a but of a figure, and her green hair was longer and it reached her shoulders.

"Hello there, My name is Artemis." she said and smiled slyly at him.

"Wh-what . ?"

"I was his shadow. But now, he's my shadow." she said and motioned at her shadow that now had a sad expression instead of a wicked smile.

Artemis laughed. "Well then, now that I'm not a shadow anymore, I'll be able to do some real damage now."

"You can give it your all, but I won't lose to the likes of you."

She giggled. "You sure are tough, aren't you?"

Jura blinked a bit confused.

"_Are you sure about this?_" Aeschylus asked.

"Of course I'm sure." she whispered. "Now be quiet."

"_Sorry._"

"A lot of people do that, they pretend to be tough. They try to be strong. You're one of those people. You need to be strong. Whether its for your friends or family." she chuckled and smiled at him slyly.

"But I do wonder how you'll react to your greatest fear." Jura heard someone say behind him and turned to see his opponent. Wasn't he in front of him just now? Jura turned back to see that his opponent still hasn't moved. There were two of them?

"Normally, people would tremble in fear." Jura turned to the wall to see another Artemis leaning on it. He looked at the three of them. Wait, three? He looked at them, but they didn't do anything. He didn't see them perform any spell, how is that possible?

"But some people have courage." Another Artemis appeared. What in the world is going on here?

"They face their fear with it so they won't be afraid." another one appeared.

"But even courage has its limits." and another.

"Soon, those people will again break down and tremble in fear." and another.

"And they will be driven to insanity." and another.

"And that will be the end of them. That will be their death." and another. But even though she- _they_ stopped talking, they still increased in number. The hallways darkened and their only light source is the big window next to them. He can now only see their silhouettes, and each and every one of their eyes turned red and were glowing. Jura could just tell that they were all staring at him.

A ghostly laughter was heard and it rang through his ears as he soon started to feel fear. Soon, he can see the smiles on their faces that clearly meant no good, but the room didn't get even a little bit brighter. They stared at him for what seemed like hours, and he soon wondered why he hadn't ran away yet.

No.

He was in a fight. His mission is to defeat this person. That's the sole purpose why he was here in a foreign land. He was here to protect an entire kingdom, so failure is definitely not an option. He has to give it his all. He has to be brave. He has to be strong, no matter what. He can't let this man- or woman, win. By doing that, he'll disgrace the name of his guild, Lamia Scale. As well as the name of the Wizard Saints. Not only that, but he'll be letting these people kill more innocent lives, and also take over his home country. And he _cannot_ let that happen.

"_Oh come, now._" Artemis spoke in a sweet voice. "What's so wrong about giving up?"

A shadow surrounded Jura and he was now covered in darkness. He saw both Artemis and Aeschylus, the man was sitting on the floor while the other was standing next to him.

"_You know, you're really strong and brave too. But you should give up. There's no way you can beat us._" Aeschylus told him, his voice echoing through he darkness. His face had a depressed expression.

"_Yeah, we're practically the strongest of the SSS. You don't stand a chance!_" Artemis said, a deranged smile on her face.

"_We're being nice here. We're giving you a chance to avoid a painful death. Which would you rather have? Your pride or your life?_" Aeschylus stood up.

"_And we're going to destroy all the guilds back in your country, as well as kill all of your so called 'Wizard Saints' once we rule that place. So what are you worried about?_" Artemis stepped closer and so did Aeschylus.

"_But unlike you, you'll have a chance to live._" he told him.

"_So? What'll it be?_" Artemis asked, they soon started to be swallowed up in darkness as well, and their eyes started to glow red. But he could still see their silhouettes. One had a deranged expression while the other had a miserable look, other than that, they looked almost identical. He started to hear voices, talking about death.

"_Death? Will you choose to die?_"

"_Do you want to be covered in blood as you slowly fade away from this world?_"

"_Will you continue to fight despite the fact that it will be futile?_"

"_Do you really want to die?_"

"_A slow and painful death, just for your pride?_"

"_Sacrifice a life despite knowing that you won't save another?_"

"_That's your decision?_"

"_Well, it's a bad one._"

"_You chose to die._"

"_And we will show no mercy._"

"_You will die in vain._"

"_You'll die for nothing._"

"_We will kill you slowly._"

"_No one can save you._"

"_Prepare to die._"

"_Prepare to see your own blood._"

"Wh-what?" Jura looked around as images of his possible deaths came into his mind. He wasn't thinking straight. It was like he wasn't even in control of his own thoughts. He didn't know what to think as he saw images of his lifeless body burnt, stabbed, torn apart, and floating on a pool of his own blood. Fear started to overcome him as he yelled. Then he saw his two opponents in shadow form surrounding him.

And then they both stabbed him.

* * *

Jura screamed, it was either in pain or in fear. But most likely both. Aeschylus watched his opponent as he lay on the ground, he seemed to be struggling.

"_I told you it would work!_" Artemis told him. Jura screamed in fear once again. The wizard saint was trapped in a nightmare illusion right now, the Envious Soul's greatest power. The victim will be trapped in an illusion where he faces terrible deaths repeatedly while he/she is being killed in the inside.

"But you gave him chance to get away. You know that once someone gets into our illusion it's almost impossible to get out. Not even we are capable of that. Death is the only doorway out."

"_Oh, I know. I also knew that he wouldn't accept. He's one of those_ noble heroes_, after all._"

"So, how long do you think he'll last?"

"_The longest one to ever last in this nightmare took him thirty minutes before he died. And this one seems much stronger, so it'll probably take about an hour._" Artemis estimated.

"Well then, let's go look for other opponents."

"_No, we better keep an eye on him until he dies, just in case._"

"Why do we need to do that?" he asked, looking at hi shadow.

"_He's unlike any of the people we ever faced. Though he isn't a match for me in hand-to-hand combat, that doesn't mean his magic power is weak._" she lectures him. "_We can't risk him escaping our illusion, not like it's possible for him to do that. Anyway, we also need to drag his body out of the hallways._"

"Oh, that's right." Aeschylus said and the glanced at his new victim. "Say, didn't the prince want them alive? So he can kill them himself?"

"_Really? I don't think so._"

"I think he did."

"_There's nothing we can do right now even if he did, you should have remembered it earlier._"

"Yeah, I'm so stupid."

"_But it would have been nice to see this man have his head cut off. But it's also nice to see him screaming, trembling and being swallowed up in fear._" Artemis giggled.

* * *

**Yeah, I really hoped you guys liked it. Please forgive my mistakes so far and comment if I did any and I might be able to change it or at least explain.**

**Oh, and I guess there's not so much emotion or action in this chapter. Jura doesn't really have a connection with Lucy.**

**I got the idea of Aeschylus' power, BTW, from Wasabi-kun. He only suggested illusions though. But one idea led to another and the next thing I knew, Artemis was born!**

**Please suggest more possible powers of the SSS! The more powers they have, the stronger they are!**

**Oh, and I probably won't be able to update any of my stories any time soon. There's a problem with my laptop, and I only managed to post this from borrowing my cousin's laptop. Sorry, and please be patient on the update of all m stories.**

**Please review!**


	12. Mia and Kiyomi vs Gray and Yukino

**Chapter 12 people! Hope you guys'll enjoy this! And thanks for all the reviews so far~!**

**BTW, I'll be posting on the results of all the battles after I'm finished writing about how they started, except for Addei and Hyosuke's matches that is. That's how I roll. But anyway, please be patient on it!**

**On with the story!**

* * *

"Dammit." Gray grumbled as he wandered around the halls. He just couldn't stay put back there. He just needed to fight one of those Seven Sinful Souls. Erza and Natsu were probably fighting them right this second. And what would he be doing? Fighting off guards who probably aren't even near as half as strong as those guys who're known to be the strongest of a kingdom? No way. So he managed to slip away from the group and headed towards the direction where Erza and the others went. But he lost sight of her, in fact he lost sight of all of his comrades. He wasn't able to follow them, and now here he was wandering aimlessly, just hoping that he'll bump into someone from the Seven Sinful Souls and be able to battle them.

He wasn't able to catch up on them, but it's not because he was slow or they were too fast. Hell no. They just got a good head start. At least, that's what he told himself. But he'd rather die than admit that it wasn't the case.

But as things seemed bad enough already, any of those weren't even the worst part. Well, right now, he can't tell if it's a good thing or a bad, it was probably because he was in a bad mood. But, anyway . . . he was not alone.

"Do you think that the others are alright? I'm starting to get worried about them." Yukino asked. She'd been hearing battle cries and sometimes even explosions resounding through the hallways. But neither of them can pinpoint where it came from.

Yukino, while fighting off the guards, had somehow noticed Gray leave the rest of the group and decided to follow him. But he ended up losing the others, though. But at least she didn't lose sight of him. Who knows? He might need her assistance after all. And also, she _did_ promise her new spirits that she'd give them a chance to be able to avenge Lucy, no matter what.

He just sighed. "I hope so. We can't afford to lose, after all. I heard the guys we're supposed to be fighting were absolutely merciless. So if they lose a fight with them . . ."

"They may as well be losing their life." Yukino finished his sentence for him as she grew a bit uncomfortable. "Just like Lucy-sama."

Gray's expression grew very serious, she was right. There'd be grave consequences if their comrades did lose a battle with the king's bodyguards. Execution.

They had better find their comrades before their enemies do, or else . . .

"Fufufu . . ."

Gray stopped at his tracks and blinked as he heard something. Did someone giggle just now? But who? He turned around to face Yukino who had an equally confused expression on her face.

"It wasn't me." she held her hands up in defense, Gray just cocked an eyebrow at her, doubting her words. Another giggle was heard and Gray turned around and saw a shadow of a person at the end of the hallway. The two of them got into their battle stances as they both slowly and silently walked forward. Yukino gripped one of her keys as Gray prepared to release an ice make: lance.

"I wonder if the others have fought someone yet." an unfamiliar female voice asked.

"Yeah, probably, judging from all the noise we heard earlier. We would have been able to fight someone if we didn't just ambush those two guys." another female voice pouted, though this one sounded younger and since she talked like a kid. Then the same voice started whining. "It's all your fault! I wanted to fight someone! Someone strong like those guys! I heard they were dragon slayers!"

"What?" Gray whispered. They've already taken out two of his comrades? But who? Natsu? Laxus? Sting? Rogue? Two of those guys were ambushed and lost a fight without even getting a chance to fight back? No way! It just couldn't be.

"Well, I just think that we should save our energy for other opponents. That blondie and the creepy black haired guy looked like they were going to be a waste of our time, after all. But I didn't know that they were dragon slayers!" another female voice spoke. And what she said made the two of them freeze.

"Sting-san and Rogue-san . ." Yukino whispered in shock.

Then the two women finally got into their sight. One was really pretty and had long light blue hair while the other was a girl who looked a little younger and had long blonde hair. The two girls hadn't acknowledge their presence yet, so Gray took this opportunity to attack.

"Ice Make: Lance!"

"Eh?" the two girls looked at their direction, only to get hit by Gray's attack.

"Ow . ." The blonde girl said.

"Karma, much?" the pretty light blue hair muttered.

"Open Gate of the Lion! Leo!" Yukino cried and the girl with blue hair snapped her head at their direction._  
_

"Yukino, I told you to call me Loke." the spirit told his new master.

"Not now, Leo! We have more important things to think about." she told him.

"Yeah, I know." he said in a very serious tone. "So these are the bastards we came here for, huh?"

Loke was pissed. He was angry at these guys for killing his master, angry at team Natsu for not protecting Lucy, and was angry of himself for not protecting Lucy. She ended up just like Karen. It was all the same, it was happening all over again. But he wasn't alone this time. Every one of Lucy's spirits were upset. Even the Celestial Spirit King, himself. Why wouldn't they? They let such a noble mage, and a wonderful friend die. At the funeral, even Aquarius was weeping a bit as she was comforted by Scorpio.

Capricorn didn't seem like he was taking it too well. He seemed more upset than Loke was, and he still was. Well, he did promise Layla, Lucy's mother, that he would protect her. And now he failed. He just felt a mixture of both depression and shame. The others tried comforting him, but failed miserably.

After Lucy's death, they still agreed to be Yukino's spirits. That's what they believed Lucy would want after all. Even if she was a part of Sabertooth, you can still call her a friend.

But, when Yukino told them about the mission. They all immediately agreed. They felt like it was what they were supposed to do. Since they weren't able to protect Lucy, they might as well avenge her. Their purpose here was the same as Team Natsu. They all felt the same pain and wanted to make the bastards responsible pay for what they did.

Yukino was also here to avenge Lucy. Well, sure she wasn't that close to the blonde, but she was so nice to both humans _and_ spirits. She still talked to her during the Grand Magic Games even when she knew that she was an enemy and had Natsu restrain himself from attacking her. Plus, Lucy didn't take her keys because she believed in the bond that Yukino and her spirits had and so she didn't want them to part. And for her to die in such pain. She didn't deserve it. She was such a nice girl, and yet fate was so cruel to her. The ones of this kingdom were so cruel to her. They were evil and merciless, so she swore that she'll be the same to them.

"Seems like it."

"I didn't expect to fight a bunch of girls." he admitted. "But I'll make you pay for what you did to my master."

"Well, at least now we'll be able to have some fun." the blonde girl spoke. "I am Mia. The Greedy Soul of the SSS!"

The pretty blue haired girl stood up, a determined look on her face. "And I'm Kiyomi. The Lustful Soul."

"Gray Fullbuster. Fairy Tail mage." Gray spoke in a serious tone.

"Yukino Agria. Sabertooth mage." Yukino gripped Loke's key.

"Well, you idiots obviously don't know who you're messing with!" Mia said. "We'll win this battle and take your little kingdom as ours!"

"Yeah, well, we'll see about that!" Gray yelled and shot another attack, but the two girls simply dodged it.

"Kiyomi! You take on that guy!" Mia told her.

"Which guy?"

"The shirtless one!" she told her.

"Got it!"

"I'll take on this girl and her butler." Mia grinned proudly.

"I'm not a butler!" Loke said, annoyed.

Kiyomi stared at Gray, determination in her eyes. Alright, she has to get serious. But it's so hard to do that when her mind kept wandering off to a memory that happened not so long ago. Lucky for her, she was able to dodge her opponents attacks with her speed despite her mind being somewhere else.

FLASHBACK

_"You know, I had some really strange friends back then." Adora told them. They face her, except for Galan who was asleep and Mia who was counting some money._

_"Oh, really?" Hyosuke asked._

_"Even stranger than the people here?" Addei asked, cocking an eyebrow at her._

_"Yeah." she nodded and started telling them about her friends, but Kazuki returned to his cooking since he had already listened to her story. She told them all about her team. The armored scarlet haired mage, the exhibitionist, and the flame-headed moron, plus the flying blue cat._

_"Eh? A flying neko?" Kiyomi asked._

_"Yeah!" _

_"Well, what happened? How did you get here if you have such great friends, then?" Hyosuke asked, and suddenly, Adora's smile quickly faded and she became a bit sad._

_"Adora-chan?" Kiyomi asked._

_"I-I'm alright." she said._

_"Ne, Adora-chan. Can you get me some baking powder?" Kazuki asked._

_"Ah, sure!" she said and ran out of the room. When she was out of sight, Kazuki sighed and told them everything._

FLASHBACK END

Mia didn't seem to notice. Which was expected, since she never listened to Lucy's stories. She was never the listening type after all. But Kiyomi knew better. She knew about Lucy's old guild and she knew that this guy was a part of it. _Gray_. She heard that name once. He was Adora-chan's team mate. And, if truth be told, he was pretty cute.

Ah, here it comes.

She wasn't the soul that symbolizes Lust for nothing after all. Her body relaxed and she felt light-headed as if she was drunk or high. Her eyes changed from bloody red to grayish blue. And she stared at Gray, completely emotionless.

Gray noticed this and stopped attacking; instead he stared at the girl in confusion. What's with her? Is she okay?

Without noticing, he was staring intently at her eyes. He had no idea that he was actually being hypnotized by his opponent. His eyelids felt heavy, he grew dizzy, and he started to feel numb all over.

"It's okay, I won't hurt you." she said softly as she stepped forward and made her way towards the ice mage. Gray didn't do anything, he was powerless and wasn't even in control of his own thoughts.

"Just relax. What are you so worried about?" she said and she was finally right in front of him. Her face was inches apart from his, but he didn't seem to mind. He didn't move a muscle; he just stood there, staring at her with his mind completely blank.

Meanwhile, Mia and Loke were battling each other. And Loke seemed to be losing. His opponent's magic is that she can control gold coins. It doesn't sound so strong, unless she can make millions of them appear in a second. She controlled them and made it form around her body and it formed into an even larger body that was five times bigger than Loke was. She was in the middle of all the coins, though her arms and legs were covered, her head, chest, and stomach were still visible.

The golden body made of coins lifted its arm up and smashed it at Loke, who was fortunately able to dodge it.

"Dammit," he cursed under his breath.

"Leo!" Yukino cried.

"I'm fine, just stay back!" he said.

"Celestial mages are powerless, after all." Mia said. "They're nothing without their spirits. They can only stand back as they watch their _tools_ fight for them."

Loke's expression became grim. '_Lucy used to fight alongside us. She used to call us her friends, not tools._' he thought.

He was deep in thought that he didn't notice that Mia's coin body sent another attack, and this time it hit him. He was sent tumbling a few feet away, he went back to the spirit world.

"Leo!"

"Your defensless now!" Mia said.

Yukino grumbled. "Open, Gate of the Heavenly Scales! Libra!"

Libra appeared and she changed the weight of the coin body and made it heavier. But it doesn't seem to have any effect at all.

"What . ?" Yukino stared at her in shock.

"Ha! You think something like that can hurt my golden body? It's extra strong!" Mia boasted, then she set her eyes on Libra. The golden body punched the spirit in the stomach and she immediately went back to the spirit world after slamming into the wall.

"Libra!" Yukino cried out before she gripped another key and called out another spirit. "Open, Gate of the Scorpion! Scorpio!"

"We are!" the spirit cried.

"Woah! What is that?" Mia asked, confused.

"Sand Buster!"

Mia coughed as the sand hit her. She lost concentration and the spell broke, the coins disappeared and Mia fell to the floor and on her butt. "Ow . . ."

After rubbing her aching bottom, she glared at the two. "Oh, I'll show you!"

She concentrated her magical power on her arm. Coins started appearing on around her arm and forming a bazooka. "Golden Cannon!"

And a large golden beam shot towards Scorpio, causing a blinding light. Once it faded, Scorpio was seen severely injured and was lying on his back.

"Gah, too strong." he said before disappearing.

"Hah! Well, what are you going to do now, Yuki-chan?" Mia mocked her.

Yukino scoffed. "First of all, don't call me Yuki. Second, I still have a lot of keys left!" she said and then summoned Taurus.

"A cow!" Mia shrieked.

"Moo!"

"Oh, brother. Out of the way!" Mia yelled and she attacked Taurus with a whip made out of coins. And while he was out of balance, Mia sent coins that were formed into swords at him.

"Ack!" Taurus cried out. And the final blow was sent when Mia sent a wave of coins at the spirit, knocking him unconscious before he disappeared into the spirit world.

"Open, Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!" Yukino called out.

Virgo started glaring at the blonde girl once she appeared. "I will avenge the princess."

And with that, she used the chains around her wrists to attack Mia, who easily dodged it.

"A maid?" the blonde questioned. "Your spirits are weird. I mean what's next, a goat dressed as a butler?"

Yukino cocked an eyebrow and summoned Capricorn. "I, as well, am here for Lucy-sama's sake."

"There really is a goat!" Mia shrieked. "And he looks like a butler too!"

"Virgo! Capricorn!" Yukino motioned them to attack, and they did. Capricorn started battling Mia with hand-to-hand combat as Virgo used her chains to attack. Mia just used millions of coins to block their attacks.

"Argh! Get off my back!" Mia yelled, fighting back. She sent coins at her two opponents that were formed as spears, swords, hammers, maces, and knives.

She kept doing the same to the other spirits, which took a great deal of her magical power, but Yukino also lost a great deal of magic, too.

"Getting tired yet?" Mia smirked, breathing heavily. Yukino was the same, she was also breathing heavily as she gripped her keys. But she was in more trouble. All of the golden keys, they were all defeated, what now? Well, she didn't get to summon Aquarius, since there was no water but thinking about that now won't help. In a last resort she summoned Loke once again. But before she can do anything after that, Mia created the coin body once again and took her and started crushing her body. "Gah!"

"Yukino!" Loke cried out, but as he was about to run and aid his new master, someone blocked his way. His eyes widened as he saw that it was none other than Gray. Loke looked at Kiyomi who was still standing without a single scratch in her body; in fact, she was smiling brightly with her eyes closed and her head tilted to the side, as if she didn't fight anyone just now. Probably because she didn't. The spirit returned his attention to his comrade. Gray was expressionless and his eyes were dull.

"What are you doing Gray?" Loke asked. "Finish off your opponent while I'll go rescue Yukino."

But Gray didn't reply, instead he just used his recreation magic and made a hammer. And he used it to attack Loke, who just kept on dodging.

"What are you doing Gray?" Loke cried out. What was wrong with him? At a time like this . . .

"He's so sweet, I think that you can actually be useful for me" the Kiyomi girl spoke. "Gray, was it?"

She then opened her eyes to reveal that they were glowing bright blue. Gray's eyes started glowing the same way, bright blue. Loke gasped.

"Please finish this man off, for me." Kiyomi smirked, and so did Mia.

"G-Gray!" Loke called out to him, but his supposed-to-be ally simply attacked him with an Ice Make: Lance. "Gray! Snap out of it!"

Loke kept dodging all of the attacks Gray sent him. He couldn't believe it! Gray was being controlled! But should he do? He can't hurt Gray. And he has to worry about Yukino too. But Kiyomi was standing behind Mia with her coin body while holding his master with a death grip.

"Loke!" Yukino called out to her spirit. Mia stopped trying to crush her body to watch Loke and Gray fight, but even so, she was still couldn't do anything since she dropped her keys a while ago.

"Well, what are you going to do now, spirit?" Mia asked.

"No matter what you do, you'll lose. There's no way you can lift the spell off your friend, and I beat you once already, and I can beat you again." Mia boasted.

Loke didn't know what to do. He really didn't. Dammit, Gray, why won't he snap out of it, already? At a time like this, how can he let himself be controlled? Now he was in a real pinch. He can't hurt Gray, he was his comrade. But he was also being controlled by the enemy. And what can he do about Yukino? He can't let another owner of his die. No, not again. But she was at the hands of an opponent that he was sure he can't beat. Mia was just too strong. And what if that Kiyomi girl controls him too?

He was so confused right now. Not only that, he was scared. As a spirit he can't die, but of course, it wasn't fear for himself. It was fear for his comrades. What if more of his friends die again and he wouldn't be able to do anything about it? How can he live knowing that fact? He had managed to move on from Karen because of Lucy, but now that she was gone . . .

He felt lost. He was really hopeless without his true master.

Time's running out. He can't just keep dodging Gray's attacks. But what can he do?

* * *

**Well, please review! Whether it's positive or negative, please review anyway!**

**BTW, for those who're supporting Angels and Fairies, I 'll be taking a break on that for now. Having writer's block. But it's only on that fic! Don't worry!**

**~ RnR ~ !**

**~ RnR ~ !**


	13. Galan vs Gajeel

**Well, I was in a hurry to post this. **

**The good new is that I posted really quickly.**

**The bad news is that it only has +700 words, not including the A/N. But I don't think you guys would mind. I just wanted to get straight to the point. All you have to know is Galan's power and Gajeel isn't really close to Lucy.**

* * *

Gajeel grunted as he sniffed the air trying to pin point someone, but to no avail. He'd been trying to track one of those opponents of his but he just couldn't pick anything up. He was unfamiliar with all the scents of this country, after all so that's no surprise. What's confusing is that he couldn't find any of his other comrades, even though he was already very familiar with their scents.

Well, for now, he supposed that he can't rely on his nose. And even if he hears a battle going on, he won't be able to follow the sounds since the castle was too damn big and he would just get even more lost.

"Dammit, this place is messin' up my nose." Gajeel grumbled.

"Why? Does it stink here?" Gajeel flinched and turned around to see a silver haired man who looked really sleepy.

"What the- ?" Gajeel didn't sense the man's precense at all.

"Galan. I'm the Idle soul of the SSS." he introduce himself, his face was emotionless and he seemed lifeless. "You?"

"Gajeel Redfox. Fairy Tail mage." he chuckled. Things were starting to get interesting. "Thanks for getting straight to the point, by the way. I hate long introductions."

"Whatever." he mumbled and yawned. "Let's just get this over with so I can take my nap."

"Oh don't worry, I'll help you with that." Gajeel said and transformed his arm to a club. He jumped high into the air and aimed his arm directly at Galan who made no reaction.

The SSS member simply yawned once again. "Whatever."

Galan raised his arm and then his robe's sleeve grew longer and somehow managed to block Gajeel's attack.

"Wh-what?" Gajeel's eyes widened.

Galan raised his other arm and the sleeve got longer and headed towards Gajeel. In a split second, he was sent crashing towards the ground, luckily, he was able to land on his feet.

"Oh, man. Looks like your pretty tough." Galan sighed. "I was hoping I'd be able to knock you out easily, but it looks like I have a lot of work to do."

The man yawned once again, and grumbled. "I hate work."

Gajeel ignored his words and charged at him again, this time, he transformed his arm into a sword, Galan blocked his attack again. But then, Gajeel kneed him in the stomach. Galan coughed before he hit Gajeel hard in the head with his sleeve.

'_What the hell? He's only using his sleeves to attack me but it still friggin' hurts!_' the iron mage thought as he was sent back a few steps but he immediately sent another attack afterwards. He turned his arm into a pole and extended it. It hit his opponent in the stomach and made him crash into the wall which made smoke fill around him.

As the smoke cleared, Galan could be seen, seemingly unconscious. Gajeel's iron pole was still connected with his stomach, keeping him pinned on the wall and preventing him from landing on the ground.

'_Well, that was easy._' the iron mage thought as he put his arm back to normal. When his pole was no longer pinning Galan in the wall, he fell to the ground, but he landed on his feet.

"What?" Gajeel stared at him in shock.

"Yeah, look, I don't like fighting. It consists of too much work. So you mind giving up already? I really want to take a nap already." Galan said.

"In your dreams!" he shouted and launched another attack. He turned his led into a pole and extended it, aiming it to hit his opponent's face. But instead, Galan used his sleeve and wrapped it around his iron pole and sent him flying and hit the ceiling. He landed on the hard ground which created a rather large crater. But even after that, he still managed to get back up, but he did so with a bit difficulty.

Gajeel then sent him an Iron Dragon's Roar. But Galan's sleeve somehow grew very large and he blocked Gajeel's attack. But he was sent back a few steps afterwards. Other than that, he was fine. Galan started to glare at Gajeel and the he did the same.

Yup, the SSS member was taking things seriously, now.

"I'm giving one last chance." Galan spoke in a cold tone, his face expressed pure seriousness. "Give up, or else."

"Sorry, punk, but that ain't happening."

Galan sighed. "You were warned."

* * *

**Sorry if it's so short. Please review!**

**In the next chapter, the results of each battle will be posted. And also, who was the one who stopped Addei from killing Erza.**

**~ RnR ~ !**

**~ RnR ~ !**


	14. The End of the Battle, Start of the war

**Well, here's chapter 14 people! The results of the battles!**

* * *

Lucy woke up as silence filled the air. No more explosions, battle cries, or any other sign that people were fighting each other.

'_Thank God, for that._' she thought. She was getting really concerned of her friends. But her nap helped a lot. She was thinking straight now and she felt refreshed. She sighed as she remembered her previous thoughts. What was she thinking? Of course she shouldn't accept the prince's damn offer. Nothing good will definitely come of it. And who cares if Natsu can't be hers? He can be with Lisanna the rest of his happy life and she just had to live to accept that. Anyway, there was a lot of fish in the sea. Besides, Natsu will come whether she liked it or not. He was already here, anyway.

Lucy shook her head. Maybe it isn't a good idea to think about him right now. She'll just have to wait for Addei to come and unlock her door so she can be distracted from the thoughts of him for at least a while.

And, as if on cue, she suddenly heard the door of her room unlock and open. She snapped her head up and gasped in surprise to see who it was.

It was Addei. She was covered in bandages and looked weak and tired, and her clothes were torn in different places and it only revealed more of her injuries. Lucy immediately ran after the woman and supported her towards her bed.

"Addei-san! What happened? Are you ok?" Lucy cried.

"It's alright, Adora-chan. I'm ok." Addei told her.

"What happened?" Lucy repeated her first question as she felt concern towards the older woman.

"I got into a fight into one of those trespassers. She was pretty tough."

"You fought a girl?" Lucy cocked her head to the side in confusion. She looked so cute right now. "Looks like you practically met your match."

"Yeah. But I still won, of course." Addei boasted which made Adora giggled. But then, Addei's smile faltered as she recalled what had happened after the fight.

FLASHBACK

_"STOP!"_

_Addei lowered the sword and turned around. Her eyes widened as she saw who it was._

_"Wh-what are you doing here?"_

_"Stop this! You can't kill her."_

_"Wh-what?" Addei stared at him in disbelief._

_"You heard me." The man spoke. The person who stopped her from killing the Fairy Tail mage, was none other than Sebastian!_

_"What do you mean I can't kill her!" Addei asked. "It was the king's orders!"_

_"No, the king's orders were for you to defeat them." he said, lifting Erza and carried her on his shoulder. "You've done your job."_

_"So what? We're just going to keep these guys in the dungeons?" she asked._

_"Heaven's no." Sebastian said before turning around. "Well, for now they will. But after a few days, his majesty will have all the pleasure of seeing these people suffer such painful deaths. You and the others will be there to witness it as well, including the princess."_

FLASHBACK END

'_Adora-chan will definitely recognize her friends. But what can she do? She'll just get hurt even more._' Addei thought, feeling uncomfortable. '_Maybe I should've just let that woman win, if only I thought things through. But then again, I didn't know that I couldn't kill her on the spot after I defeated her._'

"Well, are the others alright?" Adora asked, noticing her troubled expression.

"Yeah, probably." she answered. "I don't know."

Adora's gaze softened and became very worried for her friends. "I hope they're alright."

Addei sighed. "Me too, Adora-chan." she shook her head. "Me too."

* * *

Natsu was sent tumbling on the ground. But this time, he was far too weak and tired to get back up. Right now, he was covered in injuries, and was coughing up since he took a whiff of some of Kazuki's poisonous scents.

"Dammit." he cursed.

"Natsu!" Happy cried, flying over to him. The fire mage heard laughter at the background.

"Well? What are you going to do now, huh?" Kazuki asked him in a mocking tone. And yet right now, he was bloody and covered in burns, and he's already lost a great deal of his magical power. But still, he was the one standing right now, while his opponent was on the ground unable to get up.

"It seems that the victor of this match has been decided." Kazuki smirked.

Natsu forced himself to stand up. Though he was coughing up blood and his magic power was dangerously low, he still managed to get up on his feet and face his opponent.

It was taking every bit of his energy to stay conscious and keep fighting. His whole body felt numb. His wounds were getting worse by his movements as more blood started coming out of his skin. At every movement he made, his body screamed in pain and his legs quivered.

"Natsu!" Happy cried, worriedly.

He had to continue fighting. Even if all odds were against him. He had to fight. He had to fight for Lucy. The night of that incident, he felt terrible and it practically killed her inside with all the guilt. He regretted everything he said that night of the incident. He hated himself for it. He hated the fact that he wasn't able to protect her. He hated himself for yelling at her that way. He'd rather die than admit it out loud, but Kazuki was right. He was really harsh at Lucy and he did hurt her.

But that fact only gives him a reason to continue fighting. He didn't care if he gets killed fighting this guy. He will either beat this guy, or die trying. At least he'd be able to be of some use. If he beat him, he would find Lucy and bring her home. If he dies, then that would be enough to atone for everything he did to her.

With his resolve, he took a deep breath and started to concentrate on all the remaining magic he had. Kazuki cocked an eyebrow at him.

"It's useless, you can't beat me!"

Natsu ignored him. While concentrating, it gave him time to think. Everything was clear to him now. He finally understood. Lucy was his precious nakama, sure. But that's not what he wants.

Lucy was his mate. The love of his life. The one who he was destined to be with. His future wife and will someday be the mother of his kids.

The reason why he saved her instead of Lisanna was because of his instincts. A dragon's mate must always come first. He thought of Lucy above all else and forgotten Lisanna, for a split second. But he became confused on why he didn't save Lisanna instead, so he let his frustration out on Lucy. If only he didn't do that. Then maybe, all this wouldn't have happened. It was his entire fault.

How could he be so stupid? Why in the world did he think Lisanna was his mate? He was so confused at the time, blinded by the fact that his old friend supposedly came back to life. But things were clearer now.

He had to save Lucy.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Before Kazuki could react, he was engulfed in the fire mage's flames and received the full impact of the attack. As the flames died down, Kazuki was seen unconscious and was covered in burns.

"Natsu! You did it! You won!" Happy cheered.

"Yeah, I know, Happy." he grinned. "Now let's go find Lucy and the others."

But not long afterwards, he became too weak and fell unconscious to the cold hard ground.

"Natsu!" Happy cried. "Natsu! Natsu? Are you alright?"

"He won't be for long." Happy looked up and saw the butler that was with the so-called 'princess' Natsu had ran into. On his shoulder was an unconscious Erza.

"E-ERZA!" Happy cried. "What did you do to her?"

"You're coming with me." the butler took Natsu by his vest and started dragging him away, making a trail of blood. "Looks like you were too much for Kazuki-san. But even so, he still did a good job."

"Oi! Let go of Natsu!" Sebastian got annoyed at the blue neko and kicked him towards the wall, hard enough to make him lose consciousness.

"Annoying." he muttered before dragging Natsu towards the dungeon, leaving a trail of blood caused by Natsu's wounds.

* * *

Aeschylus was thrown to the wall; he coughed after he landed on the ground with a 'thud'. His eyes showed fear and shock at the same time.

"_Tsk. I'm low on magical power!_" Artemis told him. "_Get up, idiot! You're losing!_"

"He's too strong!" He told her.

"_Well, I can't attack him right now! You know that!_" Artemis snapped. "_But seriously, he isn't called a mage saint for nothing. It looks like we underestimated him a bit._"

"I-I still can't believe it . . ." Aeschylus mumbled to himself. "H-he escaped the illusion."

"That's right." Jura said. "And I've also figure out your shadow's weakness."

"I-I . . ." Aeschylus trembled.

"And that weakness is you." Jura said. "If you're hurt, then so is your shadow. If you feel weak, even if it's only for a second, then so will your shadow. The key is to attack you and not _Artemis_."

After telling Aeschylus of what he now knows, Jura then casted a very powerful spell. "Rumbling Mt. Fuji!"

"Gah!" Aeschylus cried. Jura's opponent was immediately struck by an immense release of Magic Power surging from the ground, wreaking havoc on Aechylus and everything near him, including Artemis. It rose up several meters in the air and shattered the earth it emerges from reducing it to small pieces.

The smoke cleared, and it revealed his opponent, unconscious. And his shadow was now his shadow again, and not some dark creature telling Aeschylus what to do.

"I won this battle." Jura simply stated.

* * *

"Leo!" Yukino cried. Loke was now severely injured. He was lying on the ground while Gray stood in front of him. He was a little injured, yes. But he seemed fine.

In the end, Loke couldn't battle Gray. He couldn't hurt his comrade. He couldn't save his master, Yukino. And most of all, he wasn't able to avenge Lucy. He failed. He had already let two of his masters die, and now it seemed like it will be followed up by another. Karen, Lucy, and Yukino. He failed them, as well as the whole guild. His job as a spirit was to protect them, since they were his masters. And even though he was the strongest of the twelve golden zodiac keys, he wasn't able to fulfil that duty. He would have been better off disappearing. Nothing would have changed if Lucy had just left him to die next to Karen's grave. At least he won't need to suffer from any more loss.

But he was thankful for Lucy. She was the kindest celestial wizard he ever knew, and she might as well be the strongest. He was thankful for her for saving him and giving him hope. She had done so much for him. And yet, he couldn't protect her nor could he even avenge her. How pathetic can he get? And his hatred for himself only grew as he stared at Yukino, defenseless. He was supposed to be there to protect her, and yet he couldn't do that. She's going to end up like Lucy. And it will all be his fault.

"I'm sorry . . . everyone . ." he coughed. "I'm so sorry . . Lucy . . ."

Loke went back to the spirit world. And at the same time, Kiyomi released Gray from her spell. He flinched and looked around, seemingly confused.

"Wh-what?"

"Gray-san!" Yukino cried. But it was too late. In a split second, Kiyomi knocked him out. The coin body's grip on Yukino's body tightened and she slowly lost oxygen, as well as consciousness.

* * *

Both Galan and Gajeel were breathing heavily, they were both bloody and bruised and also low on magical power. But even under the circumstances, Galan seems to have the upper hand. The man stood up and prepared another attack. Noticing this, Gajeel immediately stood up, and Galan immediately jumped to the air. His sleeves extending and started rotating around him at an alarmingly fast rate.

Gajeel quickly transformed his arm into a pole and blocked his attack. But it felt like he was blocking a chainsaw and hurt like hell even though his Iron Dragon's Club was taking the full force of the attack. The pain became unbearable and he was sent flying, but then Galan grabbed him with his sleeve and started crushing him.

Gajeel choked, coughed, and gasped for air while Galan simply stared at him completely emotionless.

"I warned you, didn't I?" he said and his grip on Gajeel tightened. "You don't mess with us."

It was only a matter of time before Gajeel lost consciousness.

* * *

"Gah!" Minerva cried as she landed hard on the ground. She was covered with injuries, and so were the others. They just weren't running out of soldiers to battle. They're all low on magic and were hurt really badly.

"I . . . I ran out!" Lisanna cried.

"Miss! What are we going to do?" Rufus asked. They were surrounded by soldiers and they now had no means of defending themselves. Most of them barely had enough energy to stand up.

"I . . . I don't know." she answered honestly. "Dammit, what about the eclipse?"

"It's already way pass midnight." Hibiki told her.

"It can't be! Titania said-" Minerva was cut off when realization hit her.

"Erza was wrong." Lyon spoke gravely. Minerva began to tremble. How is that possible? Damn that Erza! Of all the mistakes she could have made it just had to be something as grave as this.

"Freeze! Don't move!" one of the guards shouted. But it wasn't like they had any energy left in their bodies to even move a muscle. They were all worn out, tired, and hurt. They could only imagine what how their comrades could possibly be doing.

"I . . " Minerva tried to speak but no words were formed from her mouth. It wasn't like she has anything to say anyway, those were her last thoughts before she, as well as the others, lost consciousness.

* * *

"Oi! Old man!" Laxus called out. Jura turned around and sighed in relief to finally see at least one of his comrades.

"Laxus-dono. Are you alright?" Jura asked, noticing his injuries.

"Sure I am. What about you? You look like you're in no better shape than I am."

"I'm fine. I just fought one of our enemies."

"Me too. Looks like we both won."

"Thank the heavens." Jura sighed. "We better get going and find the others. They may need our help."

"You should worry more about yourselves." a voice spoke and they turned around to see a man with spiky black hair and bloody red eyes. "Hello there, I'm Hidenori. _Prince_ Hidenori, heir to the kingdom of Visna."

"Th-the prince?" their eyes widened in shock. But before they can react any further, Hidenori already casted a powerful spell, even more powerful than Laxus' Lightning Dragon's Roar or even Jura's Rumbling Mt. Fuji. Huge magic circles formed all around the two. They could see Hidenori's eyes, they were glowing. But one of them was still red, only glowing, while the other was purple. Another magic circle appeared in front of him.

"Satan's Wrath!" He shouted.

* * *

Another explosion was heard. Lucy looked around, alarmed.

"Wh-what was that?"

"Adora-chan, please stay here. I'll go check it out." Addei told her.

"No! I'm coming with you!"

"No, this could be dangerous. I can't risk you getting hurt. It's my duty to protect you." Addei's brows furrowed, she couldn't risk Adora finding out about her friends being here. At least not yet.

"But you're really hurt! Even if you did go, there's nothing you could do! It's either you're not going or I'm coming with you!" The older woman was shocked at the girl's sudden outburst. But then her expression softened and she squatted down to meet the Lucy's eyes.

"Adora-chan, I just don't want you to get hurt okay? And I'll be fine. You shouldn't underestimate me, you know. Didn't I tell you that?" she told her in a soft tone, and that seemed to reassure the girl. "Don't worry, I'll be back as soon as possible."

With that said, she left the room leaving Lucy to wallow in depression.

As soon as she closed the door, her expression became deadly serious. She had to talk to the others. They had to talk about their current situation as of now. How are they supposed to tell Adora? She surely didn't want to be the one to break it to her. But they can't let Adora figure it out on her own either. The girl will hate them forever and she'll stop talking to them.

But first thing's first. Do the others even know about any of this? Addei sighed it was going to be a long night.

* * *

And that was the night when their worst nightmares came true. The brave mages of Fiore lost the battle with the country of Visna. When they first came to this foreign land, they intended to protect the kingdom, the home they had come to love. As well as to avenge the loss of a wonderful friend's life. But even when their intentions seemed pure, they were outsmarted by the evil men such as Prince Hidenori, heir of the kingdom Visna. Even if they did manage to defeat some of the warriors inside the Visna castle, most of them were still defeated. They were beaten by such cruel men mercilessly, but they didn't go without a fight.

And even with these words said, nothing is over yet. They lost the battle but not the war. They must succeed no matter what. Not only because all their friends from their home are depending on them, but also because another friend is also depending on them. A friend who is actually much closer to them than they thought. And yet the only thing separating the girl from her old friends are the large hallways and the huge double doors of her room.

But it is only a matter of time until they meet. Soon enough, fate will bring them back together. However, the young princess must make a huge sacrifice first. But it's a sacrifice that she's willing to give for the sake of her friends.

* * *

**Well, I hope you guys enjoyed it! And please review! Sorry if things didn't turn out as you hoped. But things are far from over~! Remember that!**

**Oh, BTW, I got Hidenori's attack: "Satan's Wrath" from my other fanfic story. Battle of Angels and Fairies. Only here, the attack is much much much stronger!**

**And for the last part, I just wanted to make this chapter a bit longer so I added that. Sorry!**

**Please review!**

**~ RnR ~ !**

**~ RnR ~ !**


	15. Dark Pasts and Letting go

**Woohoo! Chapter 15 has exactly 5620 words! Not including this, whatever you call the words that are in bold above and below the story. And there is something in the story too. "A/N". I honestly don't know what it means. But people here use it when they're trying to tell the readers something. Anyway, this is my longest chapter yet! So I'm sure the wait will be worth it! **

**Anyway, this chapter is all about the SSS. So that's probably why it's so long. But I hope you enjoy it!**

**Yosh~! Here we go!**

* * *

Addei staggered her way towards the infirmary. Her fight with Erza had really drained all of her energy and caused her a lot of damage. Well, if she was in this sort of condition, she just wondered how the others were doing.

"Hey, Addei! How was your fight? We won pretty easily!" Mia grinned.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me." Addei massaged her temples. She was practically in a fight-to-the-death with a demon who's almost as strong as she was and this little brat's fight was just a walk in the park? You can't be serious.

"Addie-chan! Are you alright?" Kiyomi asked, Mia, Galan and her seem to be the only ones who are doing fine, though Galan is unconscious, or in other words, asleep at one of the beds. He seem to be fine though. Aeschylus was covered in bandages and was trembling next to him with Artemis looking like she was mad at him. Kazuki and Hyosuke were also covered in bandages and were both lying on the beds. But Hyosuke was unconscious, while Kazuki remained awake and was staring at the ceiling.

"Yeah, I'm fine. The bitch I fought was a tough one."

"I fought a m-m-mage saint . . ." Aeschylus told them as he trembled in a corner.

"_Get a hold of yourself you idiot!_" Artemis told him.

"Shut up Artemis, it's your fault." Galan yawned. In the SSS, he was the only one, other than Aeschylus, who can hear what Artemis is saying. "He lost. So doesn't that mean you lost as well?"

"_Oh, shut up!_" the shadow said. "_Anyway, who did_ you_ fight with?_"

"Iron man . . . tough, but I won." Galan mumbled before dozing off.

"It looks like Hyosuke-kun fought a very strong man as well." Kiyomi said as she glanced at the red-haired man with a worried expression. "He used his strongest transformation and yet he still lost."

"Wait, the dragon transformation?" Addei asked with wide eyes. Kiyomi only nodded and silence soon filled the room.

"What about you, Kazuki?" Addei asked. "Who did you fight?"

Kazuki remained silent, until he tried to sit up. He winced in pain as soon as he did.

"Kazuki-kun! Don't push yourself!" Kiyomi told her, concerned. If Hyosuke was awake right now, he would be glaring at Kazuki.

"I'm fine." he said, and a a while later, he spoke again. "I fought _him_."

Addei froze, knowing what he meant. The others, in the mean time, were clueless about it.

"Who?" Mia asked.

"Him." Kazuki only repeated, avoiding eye contact. "Natsu Dragneel."

Everyone froze, even Mia. The blonde might not like listening to other people's stories, but she still knew who that man was.

"Adora-chan's . . ?" Kiyomi trailed off, but Kazuki knew what she was going to ask so he nodded. Addei had an uncomfortable look, but no one seemed to notice until she spoke.

"I fought one of Adora's friends as well." All eyes turned to her. "The titania. Erza Scarlet."

"We fought her friends, too." Kiyomi frowned.

"We did?" Mia asked, confused.

"Yes, I recognized them from Adora-chan's stories."

"I . . . do you think they're here to take her back?" Addei asked.

"No!" Kiyomi cried, and they turned to look at her with a confused look. "It's their fault that she's here right now! They were the one who hurt her! We can't let her go back their!"

Silence filled the room once again. They all agreed with her, but were they really worried about Adora's sake? Were they really worried about her well being? Or were they just doing all of this for their own selfish wishes?

Suddenly, their pasts came back to them. Their reason to why they became one of the SSS.

* * *

Addei wasn't always a self-centered woman with such high expectations of herself. In the past she was a completely different person. She was quiet, shy and was always afraid of everything. She was kind of like Aeschylus.

When she was just a child, her parents were always abusing her, and they never seemed to love her, whether it was physical or verbal abuse. They always only fed her left-overs, and let her sleep at their attic.

Her father was an alcoholic, and he was always out of the house during the morning and will only go home at night. But whenever he was a home, he was always beating her. She never knew why, he just did. He would just get in a fight with her mom and then let some of his frustration out on her.

Her mother never protected her. Instead, her mom would always scold her and tell her that she deserved it. Then she would be called a lot of painful things. Brat, useless, good-for-nothing, worthless, and worst of all, her mother had called her a demon. Everyday at night she would stay at the corner of the attic, she would wonder why in the world she was treated like that and why she deserved it. Did she ever do something wrong? What did she do? Why did she deserve this much pain? And with those questions in mind, she would later cry herself to sleep.

It wasn't only like that when she was at home. It seemed as if their whole village hated her. It seemed as if everyone despised her. People would always bully her and tease her. Everyday, she had to go through so much pain and misery and then fall sleep knowing that she'll have to face the very same thing the next day.

That is, until one day when she was 12, she was being bullied as usual. Everyone was laughing at her and making fun of her. And that was the very day she found out why everyone hated her.

"What a little brat. I can't believe my sister died just to give birth to such a worthless child." she heard her mother say with pure disgust. She froze and her eyes widened. They had thought that she couldn't hear them, but she could.

"I can't believe that brat's father had sacrificed his life just to save her." another woman said.

"She's a demon. She killed her parents."

"Her parents died because of a worthless girl."

"They were so kind too."

"Good-for-nothing brat."

"She's better off dead."

Addei started to tremble. She covered her ears, not believing what she had just heard. The people who had raised her weren't her real parents. Her real parents were dead. She killed them. That was why everyone hated her.

"She's a disgrace."

And that's when Addei had finally snapped. A strong surge of magical energy surrounded her as her eyes started to grow. Flames scattered on the ground, water circled around her, strong wind surrounded her and the earth started to shake as well. Everyone just stared at her in fear.

"I . . ." she said. "I'VE HAD ENOUGH!"

And that was it. She killed every single one of the people in that village. Blood had scattered everywhere. And she was also covered in it, but she could care less that time. There was one last person she hadn't killed yet, the person she had chose to trap and just bury her legs in the earth so she can't escape, the person Addei had decided to kill last. It was her so-called mother who is actually her aunt.

"A-Addei! Stop! Please, don't do this!" the woman had begged. "I-I'm your mother! You wouldn't hurt me right?"

"I'm your daughter." she had simply said, flames formed around her aunt. "Yet, you would beat me everyday without thinking twice."

"N-no! Please forgive me!"

"Ah wait, that's right." Addei said, stopping for a moment. Hope filled the woman's eyes, but it immediately disappeared when Addei spoke again. "I'm not your daughter, right? But I'm not your niece either."

Addei stepped closer and was now right in front of the woman, she smirked. "I'm a demon."

She walked away laughing evilly, and as soon as she was a few feet away from her aunt, she set her on fire. For the rest of her life, she will never forget the shrieks of the woman who raised her. But at least she was different that the others, the woman had died and turned to ash unlike the others whose blood were spilled.

Afterwards, she started travelling on her own. Her clothes were still stained with blood, but she didn't mind. She travelled for days, until she bumped into a boy with black hair and red eyes, he was with a butler with black hair and red eyes. **(A/N: This is not Sebastian. Sebastian is not that old.)**

"Who are you?" she asked.

"You wouldn't happen to be a girl named Addei, would you? The girl who killed an entire village?"

"Yeah, why? You want me to kill you too?" Addei had asked, smirking. The boy only laughed at her.

"No, of course not." he said. "It's not like you can, anyway."

"Wanna bet?"

"Who the hell do you think you are?"

"I'm the girl who killed every single person in an entire goddamn village!" Addei yelled. "Don't you think I can't and won't do the same with you!"

"I like your pride." he simply said.

"My whole life I was called a worthless and good-for-nothing brat!" he told him. "Well, I proved them wrong! I'm going to prove to everybody that looks down on me that they're wrong! And I'm going to do that by taking their life away, nice and slowly to make sure that they suffer. I was always called a demon, so might as well play the part."

"Well then, I believe that you should come with Me." the boy said, and Addei just gave him a confused look.

"I'm Prince Hidenori, heir to this kingdom. If you come with me, you'll be feared and be able to show to everyone that you shouldn't look down on Addei, the mighty and prideful soul. You'll be able to show everyone your true self. You'll be able to show them the power of a true demon."

And that was how the prince convinced her to come to the Visna castle, and she became the first SSS member there was.

* * *

Hyosuke's childhood wasn't as miserable as Addei's was. His parents never spent any time with him. They just kept fighting with each other and thought of nothing but money. They had no time for Hyosuke, they didn't even know that he was being bullied whenever he went outside to play.

Until one day, he fought back. He beat the living crap out of all the people who bullied him. His parents found out about him and had confronted him about it. But instead of listening to them, apologizing and admitting his mistakes, he ran away and became a criminal at such a young age.

He robbed people and he always had a knife just in case. But he never used it, until one faithful day that is.

He had robbed a rather rich man, but this time, he was caught.

"You little brat! I'll show you to try and rob me! I'll have you executed!"

"What? You can't do that! I'm just a kid!" Hyosuke had yelled.

"Like I care about that!"

"Wait, I just need some money right now! If I didn't rob you, I would have starved and died!"

"Again, I don't care about any of that!" Hyosuke glared at the man, how could he not pity him? He was just a kid, for crying out loud. And he doesn't want to die yet. If there was anyone who deserved to die, it was this fucking bastard! So, in a last resort, Hyosuke used his knife and killed the man. But he went a little too far. The man was now bleeding and losing a lot of blood. And soon after, Hyosuke didn't feel any guilt or fear. Instead, he smirked and laughed at the man that was now slowly dying.

'_Hah, serves him right!_' Hyosuke only watched and continued to laugh as the man died a painful and agonizing death, but before he did, the two shared a last conversation.

"D-damn you, you little brat . . ." he said.

"No, damn _you_." Hyosuke said snickering.

"I-I . . . it hurts." the man groaned. Hyosuke just raised an eyebrow and squatted in front of him.

"Like I care about that." he said before he started laughing all over again.

"That's what you get for messing with me!" he yelled before continuing to laugh at the man. It felt good for him, to kill this man, it felt really good. He deserved it, anyway. He had wanted to kill a young boy like him, and all he did was defend himself. Yep, in this cruel world it was kill or be killed.

"Hah, serves him right." a voice appeared and Hyosuke turned to see a black haired boy with red eyes.

"Yeah, he totally deserved it!"

"It felt good didn't it?" the boy asked. "To kill that bastard, especially after knowing he desrved it."

"You bet it did!"

"How would you like to feel that good all the time?" he asked, and Hyosuke was silent for the moment. "My name is Hidenori, and I can give you power. I'll give you enough power to beat everyone that dares stand in your way. All you have to do is come with me and serve my father faithfully. And then, you'd be able to kill to your hearts desires."

You don't have to ask, of course Hyosuke took the offer. And when he got to the castle, they gave him the power to transform into powerful beasts. And he became one of the SSS.

* * *

Kiyomi was once an innocent girl. Sure, her family didn't pay much attention to her, but she didn't mind, or more like she didn't care. But life was very hard and she was forced to work at an early age. She worked hard and everyone had loved her. But everything changed after she turned 16. She developed a great figure and beautiful looks. So everyday, she had to face perverts, stalkers, and gropers. So everyone started calling her a slut, even her family hated her because of it. She didn't mind it if they didn't pay any attention to her, but she didn't want them to hate her.

She was really troubled by it at first, but there was nothing she could do about it. She just decided to ignore the opinions of others and thought that as long as she stayed away from suspicious people, she would be alright. But she was dead wrong.

Once, her co-worker had offered to walk her home since it was really late at night, and she agreed.

While they were walking home, he had led her to a dark valley telling her that it was a short cut. Kiyomi was rather naive back then, so she trusted him immediately. But she shouldn't have. But she wasn't the only one who made a terrible decision, so did the man she was with.

And let's just say that after that night, Kiyomi lost her innocence and her co-worker was never seen again. But she would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy every moment of it. From the moment she was pinned to the wall to the moment he stopped breathing. She enjoyed it all.

And it became a habit of hers to do that. She enjoyed it that much. She would walk into the same dark hallway, knowing that she was being followed by some pervert, and after her lust was satisfied, she would kill the man.

And one day, the Prince of Visna found her and saw what she was doing. He had honestly thought that the man molesting Kiyomi was one of the worthy people to become a member of the SSS, but it soon became clear to him after finding out about Kiyomi's _hobby_. He offered her a place at the Visna castle, and who was she to decline?

Like Hyosuke, they also gave her a magical power that matches her perfectly. And she loved using it very much.

* * *

Mia was from a small and poor family. It was just composed of her And in their village, there was only one rich family, and they're the ones who run the whole village. And Mia admired them very much. She even worked for them as a maid even though she was just a little girl. But she still worked very hard, and that family liked her for that. Her parents were very industrious, too. But they kept working so hard that they never spent any time with Mia.

But one day, her mother became gravely ill. If she wasn't taken to a healer immediately, she would definitely die. So Mia begged her masters for some money and they promised that they would help her. Mia worked extra-hard in return.

But after a few days, her mother died.

They didn't receive any money for help. Mia's masters didn't help them even though they promised. So Mia had confronted them about it.

"What are you talking about?" the head of the household had asked. "Why the hell should I just give you some of my precious money?"

"B-But! My mother was dying!" Mia cried.

"So? Little girl, you should know that there is nothing you can't buy with money. So obviously, people shouldn't waste it on such pitiful trash!" the entire family laughed at her and kicked her out of the mansion.

And then, her father had been robbed. They lost so much money that they even lost their house and lived in the streets. Once, she had heard her father say something, and she will never forget his words.

"If we only had money, we would be living in heaven." he had said. "Money makes the world go round. There's nothing it can't buy."

Her eyes widened at what he had said. "Wh-what are you talking about, Papa? There are a lot of things money can't buy!"

"Grow up, Mia! In this world, if you don't have any cash, you won't last."

"B-but . . ." she thought for a moment. "M-money can't bring Mama back, can it?"

"But if we had money, she wouldn't have died!" he yelled at her and she fell silent, before she ran away from him. Her father paid no mind and thought that she'll just come back. But she never did. She went to the mansion of her former masters and sneaked inside. She took a knife from the kitchen and killed every one of them in their sleep. Except for the father, or the head of the household, that is. She went to his office and she started breaking a bunch of thing first so she can wake him up, and he did. He most likely didn't notice his wife already bleeding to death in their bed.

The man reached his office and caught Mia breaking his stuff. He ran towards her to stop her, but he unfortunately didn't notice the knife in her hand. By the time he did, she already stabbed him in the stomach. He fell to the ground and continued to lose blood.

"Money can buy anything." she said. "I suppose your right Papa. If we only had money, Mama wouldn't have died."

"Wh-what are you doing you little brat . . . ?" the man asked.

"I envy you, you have so much money! But you can't bring them to hell now, can you?" she asked. "So you won't mind if I take them!"

His eyes widened. "Wh-what . . ? How could you . . . ?"

She kicked him in the stomach. "I used to work for you, so I know that all your riches are in the basement, so you won't have to trouble yourself with showing me where it is."

Then she left the room, broke the door to the basement and took all the gold she could carry with her and ran away from the village. After changing her clothes of course. She wore the nice dress the only daughter of the family had. It was really pretty and expensive looking. She also brought the knife she used to kill them.

And after a few months of travelling, the Prince found her and offered her a spot in the Visna castle. And of course, Mia agreed as she thought about living in a castle. There, she was given her power.

* * *

Aeschylus and Galan were both raised as slaves for a rich family. They knew each other for a long time, even before they became SSS members. They both worked very hard and lived a life of hard labor. Galan was always given extremely hard jobs, like carrying sacks or rice, gallons of water, arranging books at the library, etc. And he was only given little food to eat. Aeschylus had the same job, but most of the time, he was serving his son of the man they were working for.

Aeschylus would like to watch his master do a lot of things, even if it's as simple as eating breakfast. He envied that man. His master was so talented, strong-will, and confident. He wished he was like that. His master would always eat a lot of food that was so expensive while he was ate so little inside of a cellar. He would spend his time reading an expensive book while he was doing chores, not even knowing how to read.

Meanwhile, everyday Galan wanted nothing more than to rest. But it seemed as if he never had any time for that. He would wake up before the sun even rose and make his masters some breakfast. Then he would sleep late at night because there was just too much work. Sure there were tons of servants in that mansion, but he seemed the busiest one. He never really had enough sleep.

Until one day, the family they were serving left for vacation. And they just stayed in their cellar where they eat and sleep.

"I'm so tired." Galan said lying on a pile of rags. They didn't have a bed.

"They're so lucky." Aeschylus said. "They're rich, living a good life. They eat delicious-looking food and they're really smart. While here we are sleeping in rags, not even knowing how to read."

"Who cares about that?" Galan asked. "I just want to leave this place and sleep to my heart's content."

"_Oh, really?_" a feminine voice asked.

"Wh-what . . ?" Aeschylus looked around him to look for the source of the voice.

"Who said that?" Galan asked. Someone giggled. And suddenly, Aeschylus started moving and attacking to them. That was how they met Artemis, and she taught them how to use magic. And helped them escape. But they had to make everyone in that mansion suffer, by letting them go through their worst nightmare. But they didn't know that after the people they attacked experienced the illusions they put them through would soon die. But when they found out, they didn't really care anymore.

After they escaped, they became delinquents, reigning chaos wherever they went. And that was how they earned the spot of becoming one of the SSS.

* * *

Kazuki was a cook, but even so, he never had enough food to eat. He worked in a restaurant, the pay wasn't so high. Sometimes he wouldn't eat for the whole day, and would practically starve. Kazuki lived alone, so he just had to support himself. Once in a while, he would take some left-overs of the customers, put it in his tray, and eat it. His colleagues pitied him for doing something like that.

"Geez, Kazuki-san, you're collecting left-overs again? Are you really that poor?" one of them asked and then they would all laugh at him. But he would just ignore them. It was better to eat some left-overs than to starve, right? Every single grain of rice is a blessing. You shouldn't waste it.

Then one day, there was a birthday party in the restaurant he worked for, it was filled with people, mostly kids and teenagers. So he cooked a lot of food. But then, the birthday boy suddenly yelled something.

"FOOD FIGHT!" and that's what happened. By the time they finished, the whole restaurant was a mess. Food spilled everywhere and Kazuki just thought: '_It's such a waste._' Here he was, practically dying of starvation. Meanwhile these people were taking their food for granted and wasting it.

So he picked up some food that he thought were still clean and placed it in a tray so he can eat it later. He hadn't eaten anything yet today, and man he was starving. Everyone in the restaurant noticed him and started laughing at him.

"What a pitiful man."

"Can't even afford anything to eat, huh?"

"You're that desperate?"

"How pitiful."

Then one of them threw ha plate of spaghetti at him. They all laughed harder. But Kazuki just remained silent and kept picking some food and went back to the kitchen.

While he was eating, he could still hear everyone at the other room, roaring in laughter. They haven't stopped yet. But Kazuki just chose to ignore them. Then after he finished eating, suddenly, his colleagues and boss entered the kitchen and started making a brand new batch of food for their customers, but they were still snickering at him.

But Kazuki ignored their mockery. Something different filled his mind. Why bother making a new batch? Wouldn't they just waste it? Honestly, they should be taught a lesson. Kazuki then remembered something his parents had taught him before they left him. They taught him magic. Kazuki's parents had been very strict, and all they taught him was how to use magic and how to cook. That was all, before they left him. Hew didn't mind though, they never did love him, anyway.

The food was now ready and everyone left to serve the customers. But before they did, Kazuki then used his magic on the food. He made them poisonous; air was such an important factor in food after all. Affect the air around an object, and then you'd be affecting the object as well. And then he was left in the kitchen, alone. All his colleagues, even his boss, went to eat the food that they didn't know, now held poison. He just sat there, and listened to them. They were making fun of him once again as they ate. Their words were really offensive and hurt him a lot in the inside. But a smile crept up his face as he heard them all cough, it was followed by a loud 'thump', meaning that someone had already died. Then people were panicking. But afterwards one by one, he heard people fainting and falling to the ground until there was a complete silence.

He left the kitchen and went outside to see all the bodies piled up, pale and lifeless. He smirked at them, before laughing maniacally.

"I despise you all for making fun of a man as poor as me." he said rather dramatically, even after knowing that they were all already dead. "And also, I absolutely can never forgive someone for wasting such decadent food."

He then looked at all the food. They were half-finished. He used his magic to return them back to normal so he'd be able to eat it. When he was about to take a bite, he heard someone clapping. He turned to see a man with black hair, red eyes, and was about as tall as he was. But then again, he was a bit short for his age, so this man was probably younger than him. Next to him was a butler with black hair and red eyes. **_(A/N: OK, now THIS is Sebastian.) _**

"I like your way of killing. Nice and slowly, making them suffer first. Plus, it's not too messy either." he said.

"Who are you?" Kazuki asked as he started to eat. "Look, I don't really care. I just want to do two things: Cook and eat. That's all I want to do with my life. So please leave me alone. I don't need food to kill you right here, right now."

"Everyone here were so terrible, weren't they?" the man just asked. "They were just so terrible that you _had_ to punish them."

"I couldn't stand them. They just had to die." he answered.

"Well, there are a lot of people like that in this world." the man said. Kazuki eyed the man in confusion.

"I'm Prince Hidenori, if you'd like, you are welcome to come with me and punish even more despicable people who deserve to die. Plus, you can eat all you want, and also cook until your hearts content."

Now that was an offer he couldn't refuse.

* * *

Everyone of the SSS had faced dark pasts. They all did terrible things. But for them, they didn't do anything wrong. They just punished a bunch of people. They just killed people who deserved to die. But other than that, they also had one thing in common.

"Guys!" Adora called after them. "Are you alright?"

"Adora-chan! I thought I told you to wait in your room!" Addei scolded her.

"I couldn't just sit in my room, knowing that you guys are probably dying! I had to check if you're all alright!"

"We're fine!" they all said in unison and smiled at her. But then, Adora noticed Hyosuke.

"Wh-what happened to Hyosuke-san!" Adora asked.

"Don't worry, Adora-chan, He'll be fine. He's just going to stay unconscious for a while." Kiyomi smiled at her. And only then did Adora notice something.

"Hey, Kiyomi-san, you and Mia-san look like you're not hurt at all." she said.

"Yeah! Our fight was a walk in the park!" Mia boasted.

"Shut up, you little brat." Addei said, crushing Mia's temples with her fist. Adora laughed at them, then she looked at Galan and Aeschylus.

". . . um, looks like Galan did well in his fight." Adora patted the man in his head. Galan looked up at her and smiled.

"Yeah, I won." he yawned.

"I didn't . . ." Aeschylus sulked. Adora just hugged him, shocking the green-haired mage.

"It's alright, Aeschylus-san, you did your best." she told him. "The only thing important right now is that you're alright."

Aeschylus was silent for a moment as he processed the girl's words. "Yeah . . . you're right."

"_It was just one defeat, after all. We shouldn't think much of it._" Artemis added.

Then lastly, Adora turned to face Kazuki. "Oh, don't worry about me, Adora-chan. I'm fine. I'll be back to the kitchen and cooking you something to eat in no time."

"You're right . . ." she mumbled then beamed. "But in the meantime, I'll cook for you!"

"Eh?"

"Yeah, I know how to cook! I'll cook something for all of you." she then ran out of the room. "Just wait here, okay?"

They all smiled at the girl's antics. That's right; they've never felt love before. No one has ever cared for them. But when Adora came into their lives, they were just so touched on how kind she was. They didn't even treat each other like that.

Maybe that was it. Maybe the reason why they don't want to let her go is because she means so much to them. It's because she made them feel loved despite knowing that they've done such horrible things in their past. It was just so wonderful to know that you're loved. And if Adora were to leave them, what would happen?

They don't know yet, but their lying to themselves. They keep saying that Adora should stay with them because it was what's best for her. They're doing it because it was to protect her. But it wasn't they just wanted to be with her, they didn't want to let her go. They already experienced enough pain in their pasts that left them scarred, what would happen if they now lost someone who was special to them. She was just someone who was beloved to them. Ah yes, Adora was truly loved here. Even as Lucy back in Fairy Tail, and here in this castle as Adora. She was just so kind, that people just wanted what they _thought_ was the best for her. That was why the SSS was fighting so hard.

Adora was their loved child.

But Lucy was still Fairy Tail's nakama, no matter what.

* * *

**Well, what do you think? I think I overdid it, do you? Well, I noticed I didn't make them evil in the previous chapters so I decided to make it up for this one . . . I totally overdid it, didn't I? Well just like I said, the SSS are only nice to Adora. Keep that in mind! **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! And I might not be able to update soon. I have an exam coming up and I have to study hard! Study comes first before anything else! But before you go on and study like I will, why don't you go on and review first!**

**Please review ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**


	16. The Realistic Dream

**Here's chapter 16 that has 4880 words not including A/N! Sure the last one was longer, but this one's pretty long too. **

**Oh, and tnx for telling me what "A/N" is, BTW. Now I can tell my bro what it means, too. Arigatoune~ !**

**BTW:** _This kind of writing is when they're at the dream/illusion._

**Well, on with the story! I hope you guys will enjoy it!**

* * *

The grandfather clock in Adora's bedroom struck, signalling that it was already midnight. But despite the loud sounds it had produced, the girl wasn't disturbed by it. She remained in her peaceful slumber, only stirring a bit. She was in very deep sleep and it seemed like nothing could disturb her. She was lying on her bed straight. The moonlight shone through her open window and reflected to her pale skin with her black hair framing her face, making her seem so angelic. If a person were to look at her right now, it would seem as if she was a dead body, nothing but a corpse. It was probably one of the effects of the curse she was in right now.

Suddenly, the door to her bedroom slowly creaked open, revealing three young women outside of it. Addei, Mia and Kiyomi entered the room and, for a moment, observed the young girl on the king-sized bed.

"Are you sure we should do this?" Kiyomi whispered. No one from the outside can hear them, the room was sound-proof. That was why no one was able to hear Adora when she cried for help when she was locking in her room. But they still had to remain silent until they do _it_, because Adora might wake up.

"Yes, I'm sure." Addei whispered back. "A lot of things has happened, she deserves something."

"Yeah Kiyomi, we all think that. Look, just think of this as some kind of reward, okay?" Mia said, also in whisper.

Kiyomi fell silent for a moment. "I'm sure this will make her very happy." she smiled.

"Yeah, it's nice to do something nice for a change." Mia added.

"I know." Addei said, also smiling. Then they held each others hand and closed their eyes as they started to chant some ancient words and perform a spell. Then, a magic circle appeared above the girl they were talking about, Adora's body started to glow.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kazuki, Galan, and Aeschylus were at the dungeons that was located underneath the castle with a single lamp which was being held by Kazuki that they were using to find their way through.

"_What the hell are we doing here?_" Artemis yelled.

"You heard Addei, we're going to-" Aeschylus was about to answer his shadow's question, but he was cut off.

_"I heard her! I'm asking_ why_ we're doing this!_" she yelled, but only two people could hear her, and that was Aeschylus and Galan, so they had nothing to worry about.

"Shut up, Artemis." Galan muttered. "Do _you_ think I wouldn't rather be asleep right now?"

"_You shut up!_"

They continued to wander down the halls; Kazuki ignored his companions and tried to find his way through. The dungeon was now currently filled with all the people who dared to barge in the Visna castle and try to defeat them. Kazuki looked around, for every cell, there was only one prisoner, and they were all unconscious and chained to the wall. They were also cuffed with some material that prevents them to use their magic.

Kazuki continued to look at each cell with a very serious expression in his face as he ignored his companions, there's something much more important they had to deal with. He had also noticed that he was acting way out of character lately, but that wasn't important right now, either. For now he just focused on one thing, and that was that he just couldn't seem to find the person they were looking for, until they practically reached a dead end that it. They faced a large metal door that was locked with chains and an iron bar.

"Artemis-chan, can you open this?" Kazuki asked.

"Of course I can, and don't call me Artemis-_chan_ you idiot!" Artemis said, forgetting the fact that he can't hear her and just simply opened the door, using her shadow magic to move the locks from the inside and open it.

"Thanks." Kazuki said, entering the room.

"_Oi, Aeschylus, tell him not to add"-chan" to my name, alright?_"

"Remind me that later."

Inside, there were three more metal doors. Inside each cell there was one prisoner, the three people who somehow managed to defeat a member of the SSS. They must be the way stronger and the way more troublesome than the others, then that must be the reason why they put them in special cells with a large metal door separating them from their friends. In the front cell was where Jura was held, on the left was Laxus' cell, and on the right was where Natsu was at.

They faced the Natsu's cell and, with the help of Artemis, opened it. Inside, Natsu was unconscious. His wounds were starting to heal, but they weren't treated. Luckily, he still looked like he was recovering and seemed could also feel his magic indicating that he was alive, but it was faint. Like the others, he was covered in chains and he was also cuffed with the same kind of material that was used for the other prisoners so that when they wake up, they wouldn't be able to use any magic. Kazuki wondered why though. Last time he checked, this room was fire-proof and was made of the kind of metal that wouldn't bend no matter what you do with it. It was practically impossible to get out. Oh, and it was also soundproof, so no matter how much the prisoner from the inside yells, nobody from the outside can hear him. Anyway, it looked like the guy was already dying too.

Kazuki sighed. It was probably his majesty's order. You can't argue with that. Their probably taking extra measures just in case these guys have another trick up their sleeve. For now, it didn't matter if he died though. He was going to be executed anyway.

"Ready?" Kazuki turned to face the two men behind him. They only nodded. And then they held each others hands, closed their eyes, and started chanting some ancient words and performing a spell. Natsu's body then started to glow, but he remained unconscious.

Then, at that very moment, the fire mage started to have a dream . . .

* * *

_Natsu found himself in castle, it wasn't anything like the Visna castle. He looked around and started wandering the hallways. It wasn't very big, but a while later, he found himself getting lost. But still, he felt The sun shone outside very brightly, the place was very neat and he had a homey feeling. It was kind of like the feeling he got whenever he was at Lucy's apartment. _

_Lucy . . ._

_Memories had suddenly come flooding back to him. The day of the incident, their trip to Visna, the night they barged into the castle, and the time he fought that man, Kazuki._

_'_Yeah. She's pretty much alive._' his eyes widened as he recalled what the man had said, and only one thing filled his mind: '_I have to find her!_'_

_"Lucy!" he called out and he started running down the hallways in panic. "Lucy!"_

_He kept on running around, he tried to sniff her out, but he couldn't smell anything. This place had no scent at all. After some time, he couldn't find her, and so he fell to his knees. He recalled that night all over again. Why is it that he couldn't just forget? That memory just keeps on replaying in his head, non-stop. Guilt soon overcame him._

_"LUCY!" he yelled, but it seems more like he roared. The castle seemed to shake as he did._

* * *

"Lu- . . cy . . ." Natsu grumbled in his sleep, his body was still glowing, thanks to the three men who were in the cell with him. "Lucy . . ."

Kazuki felt a bead of sweat roll down his cheek. It's starting, the spell they were performing was working. Despite not having any experience in this sort of thing, they somehow managed to make it work. But now he was having second thoughts if they should do this or not.

_"Oi, Aeschylus, tell your friend to get his head back in the game"_ Artemis said. "_We can't afford having any hesitation now, the damage was already done._"

" . . . uh, Kazuki?" the man opened an eye to stare at Aeschylus who still had his eyes closed and looked uncomfortable. "Artemis said that you should stop hesitating, we already reached the point where we can't turn back."

He sighed. "I know." then he went back to concentrating.

* * *

_Lucy found herself in a large room. She immediately shielded her eyes because of how bright it was. It has been a while since she saw light. She looked around; there was a large window, two double doors, a king-sized bed, a cabinet, and a large mirror. This wasn't anything like her apartment. Then she recalled her current situation. That's right; she wasn't supposed to be at Magnolia. She was somewhere far away, where she may never see her friends ever again. But this place didn't seem anything like her room at the Visna castle. It was much neater, and she actually felt comfortable. Plus, the light in the room was very bright. It's been a while since she ever seen a bright light. Visna was a place where the sun never shone, after all._

_She started to walk around the room, and then she suddenly found herself in front of the mirror her eyes widened and she slowly brought her hands to her cheeks._

_It was her._

_She was back in her own body. She wasn't in the body of a little girl anymore. She faced the mirror and she no longer saw the little girl with pale skin, messy and long black hair that reached her waist, blue eye and an eye patch covering the other. Instead she saw herself. Her blonde hair was flowing freely, her chocolate brown eyes stared at her reflection and was starting to get filled with tears, she was wearing a neat, plain, white dress that ended below her knees. Lucy couldn't believe it, the last time she saw this body, it was torn apart, pale and lifeless._

_What was happening?_

_Why was she back in her own body?_

_Everything just felt so unreal._

_And yet, she didn't want to leave this place._

_She may be alone, and she was very confused, but she had a feeling that she shouldn't go back. That she should just stay here for a while. Then she realized something._

_A dream . . ._

_Yes, this all must be just one dream. It's been a while. Ever since she got to Visna, all she had were nightmares. Sometimes, she found herself unable to sleep at all, and she just stared at the sky that was filled with nothing but dark clouds, longing to see the moon and the stars._

_She looked around the room once again. Then she heard something that made her heart stop._

_"Lucy!"_

_"Wh-what . . ?" Lucy looked around. _That voice . . . It couldn't be!

_"Lucy!" _It was Natsu's voice! She was sure of it! _Tears of joy filled her eyes, and for a moment, she just froze. For a moment, her mind was unable to register the situation. She was so busy feeling so much relief and happiness. That was Natsu! He came for her! But then she remembered her resolve. That's right; she swore that she was going to stay with the others. She was going to stay with her new-found friends here and get stronger so she'll no longer become a burden. She was going to accept the prince's offer and then she'll never come back to Fairy Tail again. It was for the best. She felt sorrow as she started to think things through. But then, she suddenly heard the voices of her friends._

* * *

Addei, Mia and Kiyomi kept on concentrating, trying to keep it up for as long as possible. They can also see what was happening inside the _dream_, and they had also heard Lucy's thoughts. They felt a bit confusion and panic as Lucy didn't run to meet Natsu and started to think that way. They wanted her to go. They wanted to see her happy. That's all they wanted.

"C'mon, Adora-chan . . . Go!" Kiyomi said, keeping her eyes closed and not bothering to talk in whisper anymore. "He's looking for you. He's finally arrived!"

"Forget everything! Screw your fucking resolve!" Mia added, doing the same as Kiyomi.

Addei shut her eyes even tighter. "Adora-chan, you've been waiting for him all this time! Go!"

"You love him, don't you?" Mia said. "Go be with him! Yeah, people say that if you love someone you should let them go . . ." she trailed off

"But if they come back to you, they're yours!" Kiyomi cried. "And he came back to you!"

"Yeah!" Mia grinned. "So that means that that bastard is yours!"

"Adora . . . here you're our loved child, but didn't you say it yourself?" Addei asked. "You're also Lucy of Fairy Tail. No go and be with your nakama!"

"You want to see him don't you?" Kiyomi asked. "Then go!"

"Adora-chan, don't you want to be happy? We're all doing this for you! Now do yourself a favor and help yourself!" Mia cried.

* * *

_Lucy felt tears pouring in her eyes at what she had just heard. They had always been telling her to accept the prince's offer, saying that it was the best for her. But she never believed them. She thought that they were just doing what they were told to do. She thought that they never really cared for her. But after hearing this, she has come to realize that they had come to love her the same way she has come to love them. They all care for her so much. "You guys . . ."_

_She was cut off when she heard the rest of the guys speak, and also a female one who she suspected was the person they called; Artemis, Aeschylus' shadow._

* * *

Kazuki, Aeschylus and Galan were also able to see what was happening, including Artemis of course. And they felt the same thing the other three women did.

"Adora-chan, I know that we've always told you to give up on him. That you should forget about him, but . . ." Kazuki said, but he was unable to finish his sentence.

"_But goddammit, you love that son of a bitch!_" Artemis yelled, being a bit too straight-forward. Lucy was able to hear her because she was one of the people performing the spell. "_Yeah, he was one heck of a good-for-nothing bastard. But he's_ your_ good-for-nothing bastard! And no one can have him but you!_"

"Just go already." Galan muttered. "You always wanted him to come, didn't you? And even if you did change your mind, he's already here. The least you can do is see him."

"Artemis is right. He should be yours. You love him so much, and you deserve to be with him." Aeschylus started to smile, and so did Kazuki.

"Yeah, what they said!" Kazuki cheered. "Go and get him, Adora-chan! He's all yours!"

* * *

_"You guys . . ." Lucy whispered, and then she shook her head as more tears started to fall. "I can't, I promised myself. I won't leave you. And I won't go back. I'll just be a burden there. And Natsu . . . he deserves someone better. He loves someone else. I can only think that if only it was me."_

_She started to sob._

* * *

Adora had tears streaming down her face, and yet she remained asleep. The three women felt so anxious. They just wanted nothing more than for Adora to just think about herself for once. She's way too kind for her own good. They just wished she would just go and run towards the salamander so she can see him again. But they had to admit, they were speechless at what she had said. It was a bit because of what she said about not wanting to leave them, but it was also because she said that that guy actually liked someone else. Adora was by far the kindest person they have ever met! Only an idiot wouldn't want to be with her! Plus, it was her best friend! Didn't the guy develop feelings for her while spending so much time with her, or something? The others who were at the dungeon were having the same thoughts. Silence overcame them, until Mia broke it.

"Well then, at least say good bye, dammit!"

* * *

_Lucy jolted her head up at Mia's outburst._ Good bye . . ?

_She remembered the way how she said farewell to her team mates. Despite her pain, she still managed to smile at them, she had to admit, that just didn't seem like it was enough. Maybe she should . . ._

_But then she shook her head. "But . . . I . . . I can't."_

* * *

"What? Why not?" Mia cried. "Can't a girl go and say good bye to her best friend?"

"Go, Adora-chan!" Kiyomi said. "See him for one last time."

"You may never see him again . . ." Addei's voice was filled with sorrow. "How can you live the rest of your life knowing that you let the one chance to be able to see your one true love slip?"

* * *

"Well, I was expecting a nice reunion . . . but it'll have to do!" Kazuki said, nodding.

"_I don't care what you do. Just get a move on, already!_" Artemis yelled.

"Either way, you're pretty lucky." Aeschylus muttered.

"Hurry up." was all that Galan said.

* * *

_Lucy thought for a moment tears were still streaming down her cheeks. They were right. She should go. She should still say good bye. It's the least she can do. Plus, no matter what happens and no matter how she denies it, she is still in love with that dense idiot. It even hurt just thin king of the fact that he'll be with some other girl. _

_"LUCY!" she heard him roar, and the house shook because of it._

_"NATSU!" she yelled as loud as she can before getting out through the large double doors to search for him._

* * *

_Natsu froze as she heard her. She was screaming his name, he immediately got up and ran as fast as he could, trying to find her. "Natsu!"_

_He ran as fast as his legs could take him, and surprisingly he didn't feel the least bit tired. But he couldn't find her, either. That was the only thing in his mind right now; to find her._

_"Natsu!" she yelled again. His eyes widened. It was like in his dream a few days ago, then that means . . . _

_He couldn't let that happen again! He kept on running, calling for the blonde, and she kept calling him. But as he made a turn down the hallway, he froze._

* * *

_Lucy just kept looking around and running down the hallways, she could hear Natsu calling for her. And she just kept calling for him. She frantically kept looking around, turning her heads from left to right. Where was he? She had to find him! She had to see him! Her friends were right. If she can only see him one more time, just one more time . . ._

_She suddenly tripped and fell to the ground. But she didn't get up; she just lay there on the ground and started sobbing. She just kept on repeating those words on her head. '_One more time, I just want to see him one more time._' _

_She continued to sob. But she stopped as she felt a pair of strong arms had suddenly wrapped around her waist and she was pulled to a hard chest and into a tight embrace. At first, she was confused, the person was hugging her so tight that she couldn't even look up to see the person's face. But then, realization hit her as she somehow managed to see that he was wearing a familiar scaly scarf and she started to sob all over again and hugged the person back._

_"Natsu . . ." she whispered._

_"Lucy . . ." he whispered back. "Don't worry I'm here. It's going to be alright."_

_"Natsu . . . I missed you so much!" she cried._

_"I missed you too, Lucy. And . . . I'm sorry. It's all my fault that it happened." At his words, Lucy had managed to pull away and look at him in the eyes. They just stared at each other for a while, giving them time to observe the other long enough. They had missed almost everything about each other. Lucy missed his onyx eyes, his goofy grin, his spiky pink hair, his arrogance, his fights with Gray, and she even missed the times when she barged into her room. They hadn't seen each other in only a little over a month, but it felt as if they had been apart for years._

_Natsu felt the same way about her. He missed her so much. He missed her blonde hair, her chocolate brown eyes, her dazzling smile, she missed the way she would yell at her whenever he barged into her apartment, the times when she would complain whenever she went fishing with him and Happy, he missed doing missions with her, and he had just wanted to be with her. That night of the incident, he thought he lost her. He thought that he would never be able to see her again. But now, here she was. And right now, he was here for her. He's here to keep her safe. He pulled her into a tight embrace once again, making sure that she won't be able to pull away this time. She held her tight and she did the same. They just sat there on the floor, embracing each other, afraid that if they even loosen their grip on each other, they'll be apart once again._

_"I'm so sorry, Lucy. It's all my fault, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have yelled at you that night. I shouldn't have left you alone. If only I stayed with you, then maybe you wouldn't have had to suffer so much." he whispered into her ear. Lucy couldn't help but smile, his words felt like music to her ears. _

_"It's alright Natsu, don't worry. It wasn't your fault." she whispered. '_It was mine._' she thought. "Anyway, I'm here now, and I'm just so happy to see you."_

_"I'm happy to see you too, Lucy. You have no idea how much it hurt when I thought you died."_

_He pulled her away and looked into her eyes once again, but he still held her arms tightly. Natsu gave his goofy and signature grin and Lucy just smiled at him. They have never felt so happy before._

_"Sorry for making you and the others suffer so much. I guess you were right, I'm nothing but a burden."_

_"No, Lucy, you're not!" Natsu said. "I was wrong that day. You're not weak. Because . . ."_

_Lucy waited for him to proceed, confusion filling her eyes. "Because even though you were suffering so much, you still managed to smile at us. You're not weak, you're the strongest person I've ever met, Lucy."_

_Lucy couldn't help but smile at his words. __"But you don't have to worry, anymore. I'm here for you now. And I'm going to take you home. You'll be able to see everyone from the guild again. You'll be able to come back home. Come back to Fairy Tail."_

_At this, Lucy's eyes widened and she looked down. That's right, she only came to say good bye, to see him one more time. Tears started to fill her eyes. She shook her head, covered her face with her hands and started sobbing. This made Natsu panic and stare at her with a confused look._

_"Wh-what is it, Lucy? What's wrong? Don't worry! I'm here to save you! We're going to go home soon enough!" he said frantically. Lucy only shook her head once again and looked up at him with tears streaming down her eyes. She was about to say something, but suddenly a voice interrupted her._

_"She doesn't want to be saved." someone dead-panned. They turned to see Kazuki standing only a few feet away from them. Natsu growled at him while Lucy only stared at him confused._

_"Time's almost up, I'm sorry but you have to go back. Come on, let's go." Kazuki said sadly, reaching his hand out towards her. Lucy's eyes widened, but she nodded. She pulled away from him, stood up, and walked towards the man._

_"L-Lucy! Wait! Where are you going?" Natsu yelled as he stood up and tried to grab her wrist so he can pull her back towards him. But he was stopped when Kazuki pushed him back._

_"Back off." he said. Natsu growled at him._

_"Get out of my way!" but Kazuki just kneed him in the stomach and sent him back. Natsu fell to the ground, but he wasn't hurt. Then Kazuki suddenly put his foot on his stomach._

_"You shouldn't get cocky j__ust because you beat me once_ you bastard." Kazuki growled at him. "You should know that you're in such a vulnerable state right now. I could kill you easily."

_It was true that he wanted Adora to be happy; he wanted Lucy to be happy. Kazuki wanted Lucy to say good bye to Natsu, and that was it. Now they were finished and so it was time for them to leave. This guy might be able to put a smile on Lucy's face, but he was still the asshole who hurt her and made her suffer through so mush pain. _

_Lucy's eyes widened at Kazuki's threat. She quickly grabbed his arm and tried to pull him away from her best friend. Kazuki turned to her and his eyes immediately widened. It was actually his first time seeing Lucy in her true body. He didn't get to see her body when Aeschylus retrieved it, and when he was outside of the illusion, the view was kind of blurred. But now, he got a good look at Lucy and he had to say, she was pretty damn cute. Kazuki then immediately shook the thought off._

_"S-stop. Don't hurt him." she said with pleading eyes. Kazuki turned away from her, blushing a bit. _

_"Tch." he lifted his foot off of Natsu. "Look, I'll give you a chance to say good bye to your friend. You should be grateful for this, Dragneel. You don't have a say in this. You can't do anything about it. All you can do is enjoy your last moments with her."  
_

_Natsu's heart sank as Kazuki finished talking. No way. She was leaving him. Why? He was here to save her, so then why can she possibly choose to stay with these bastards than to come home with him._

_"Thanks, Kazuki-san." Lucy smiled at the man. Natsu felt his blood boil. Another man had made his Lucy smile! And how is that possible? That guy was the enemy! Although Natsu recalled Kazuki saying that he was her friend, he couldn't believe that it was actually true! How could that possibly happen?_

_"Time's running out. You should say good bye to your friend," Kazuki told her, and she only nodded as she wiped her tears away. Lucy walked towards the fire mage who still hadn't gotten up._

_Natsu's eyes widened as he started of thinking of something more important. She was going to leave her. Why? He had come to save her, then why doesn't she come with him? Doesn't she want to go home? Doesn't she want to escape this hell hole?_

_Lucy got down to her knees and faced Natsu. She brought her hands to his face and cupped his cheeks. Then she rested their foreheads against each other. "I'm sorry Natsu . . ."_

_Natsu immediately snapped out of his train of thought and looked at Lucy. It was obvious she was trying to keep her tears from falling. Meanwhile he didn't even bother to try and stop them. He just let it roll down his cheeks._

_"Lucy . . . please. Don't go. Please don't leave me. I need you! Please!" he said, begging her to stay. But Lucy just pretended that she didn't hear anything._

_"Good bye, Natsu." she whispered, finally letting a single teardrop fall. "I love you . . ."_

_She pressed her lips against his._

* * *

**I remember someone suggesting that he/she wanted more NaLu moments. *smirk* What do you guys think of what happened so far? Too much? Good? Bad? Could be better? Not bad? Great? Terrible? Whatever it is, please review anyway! I have more energy to write if I have more reviews!**

**Please review ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**


	17. Two Hearts Growing Apart

**Chapter 17! I hope you guys enjoy it!**_  
_

* * *

_To say Natsu was shocked was an understatement. He was frozen in place, staring at Lucy with wide eyes as she continued to kiss him passionately. But soon enough, he sunk into it and started to kiss her back._

_Kazuki felt uncomfortable. Well, you must admit, standing there watching them kissing was pretty awkward. But he supposed it was a nice way of saying good bye._

_Finally the broke apart for air, and Lucy once again rested their foreheads against each other. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Natsu finally spoke "Lucy . . I . . . "_

_"C'mon, Lucy." Kazuki interrupted him. "It's time to go."_

_Lucy nodded before giving Natsu one last hug. "Good bye Natsu, I will never forget you." she said before pulling away. She stood up and started walking towards Kazuki. A very bright light surrounded them, and Natsu was starting to lose sight of Lucy. Meanwhile she, didn't look back and continued to follow Kazuki, ignoring Natsu's cries. Although it pained her inside to walk away from him, she thought that it was for the best._

_"Lucy, wait! Don't go! Please!" But soon, Natsu was engulfed in the bright light._

* * *

Natsu gasped and he jolted awake. His breathing was heavy and he winced as he felt all the pain from his injuries that hadn't been treated. But he didn't paid any mind to it no matter how much it hurt, there was only one thing on his mind.

Lucy.

Had it all been just one dream? Or did it really happen. No, it couldn't be. He didn't have any of his injuries that time, and he was sure that he got hurt this much from his fight with that guy, Kazuki. And he was definitely sure that his fight with that guy happened before his meeting with Lucy. His mind was suddenly filled with the events of that dream; Lucy went with Kazuki instead of coming with him, that's impossible. That would never happen . . right?

'_That was just a dream._' he thought as his breathing soon started to return to normal, but the pain didn't falter. '_Lucy would never do that. She would never-_'

"Kazuki . . ? Shouldn't we go?" a voice piped up. Natsu jolted his head up and he saw Kazuki with two other men.

"_No, you idiot! He might think it was just some dream! We have to make it clear to him!_" Artemis yelled.

"I-I'm sorry . . ." Aeschylus muttered, although Natsu wondered why he suddenly apologized, he was still focused and also glaring at Kazuki.

"Just so you know, that wasn't a dream." Kazuki said, glaring back.

"Wh-what?" the fire mage's eyes widened in shock.

"It wasn't a dream." Kazuki repeated. "Lucy will be with us now, and he won't be coming back to you. You'll never see her again."

"What? No! That can't happen!" he growled, struggling out of the chains and trying to summon up some of his fire, but nothing happened. A surge pain suddenly shot towards his body, and he flinched as he immediately stopped.

"Face it, Dragneel. You should be grateful we even gave you a chance to say good bye." Kazuki said before turning around to leave the room. Natsu was speechless, he couldn't believe it. That was just to say good bye? He won't be able to see Lucy again? His body shook, and before the three men could close the door, he let out a loud roar that could've been heard for miles.

He started to struggle once again as he heard the door lock from the outside. He ignored all the pain and his body screaming at him to stop. There was only one thing in his mind right now, and that was to get to his mate. For a dragon, his mate will be his whole world. He won't last long without her, so he will have to protect her and guard her with his life. And that was what he was trying to do right now. He had to get to her. He has to be by her side and protect her. He has to come and save her then take her home to Fairy Tail where she belongs.

"You can't keep a dragon away from his mate." he muttered before his vision started to get blurred. Soon enough, he lost consciousness due to the pain and exhaustion.

* * *

Lucy woke up as she felt herself fall and landed on her bed. She whipped her head up to see the three women of the SSS in front of her bed. They had their eyes closed and magic circles in front of them. But it soon disappeared as they opened their eyes. They started to stare at each other for a few moments. Lucy held the look of confusion and while the other three were looking at her with a pained expression. After a few moments, Lucy was able to put two and two together and figure things out. Her features now held a look of shock.

"Th-that was . . ."

"Yes, Adora-chan. That wasn't a dream." Kiyomi smiled sadly, making her sob. Addei walked towards her and pulled her towards a hug.

"I-I really won't be able to see him again . . ."

"It's alright, Adora-chan." Mia tried comforting her.

"B-but . . . what if he hates me now? I left him after all." she continued to sob in Addei's arms with Kiyomi patting her back.

"I'm sure he won't think that. I'm sure that he will find a way to forgive, somehow." Addei patted her head.

"It's his fault anyway; he acted like such an ass." Mia muttered.

"Mia!"

"What? It's true, isn't it?" she pouted.

"No, guys. It's alright. Just . . ." Adora tried hard to calm herself down, but she was still shaking and tears were still rolling down her cheeks. "As long as he's safe and alive, I'm happy." At this, the three women fell silent and gave each other uncomfortable looks. Lucy noticed this and got worried. "Guys, are you alright? What's wrong?"

"Adore-chan . . ." Kiyomi whispered.

"You're friends . . ." Mia trailed off.

"They're going to be executed." Addei said, finally getting to the point.

"Wh-what . . ?" Adora's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Some of your friends came here, they were the intruders yesterday." Addei explained.

"N-no . . . It can't be . . ." she started to tremble.

"They were no match for us, so they got captured." Kiyomi looked away.

"We're sorry, Adora-chan. But it was the king's orders." Mia tried to apologize, but Adora didn't acknowledge it. She was in too much shock. Her friends . . . Natsu . . . their going to die . . ? She can't allow that to happen! Adora jumped out of bed and ran outside, leaving the three women. They didn't bother running after her. They thought she just needed some time alone. But Adora planned to do something else. In her state right now, she can't free her friends on her own; hell, she didn't even know where their being kept. But she knew that there was only one thing she can do. And she was sure it'll work. It just had to.

Adora ran down the hall until she reached the prince's room. She slammed the door open to find Prince Hidenori standing at the balcony of his room, staring at her with a confused look.

"What is it no-"

"Let my friends go!" she yelled.

"Your friends?" he blinked.

"I've been told that they were the intruders that came here yesterday."

"Oh, them." the man smirked. "So they were your friends? What a great coincidence."

"Let them go!" she spat.

"What if I don't want to? After all, it isn't everyday we get someone to execute around here."

"It's either you kill them or you have me!" she yelled and Hidenori was speechless. Adora was being completely serious. She had to make a sacrifice. She was going to accept the damned offer anyway, so why not make a bargain first?

"Are you serious . . ?" he blinked, but the answer was already in her features. No kidding, she was dead serious. This made Hidenori burst out in laughter.

"You're willing to sacrifice your very life and freedom just to set those fools free?" he asked, still snickering. "I can not believe it. You won't do it for the power or the riches?"

"Why should you care about the reason why I will accept? Look, I'm giving you a fair bargain here. I will give you my life, soul, and freedom in exchange for the freedom of my friends. Doesn't that sound fair enough for you?" she said coldly. Hidenori was silent for a moment as he processed her words.

"Very well, I shall free them." he smirked. "Sebastian!"

"Yes, your highness?" the black haired butler suddenly appeared behind Adora.

"She's finally accepted, you know what to do."

"Yes, master." he bowed before grabbing Adora.

"Wait!" she said, pulling away from the butler. "What about my friends?"

"They shall be freed once the ceremony is over." he reassured her. "Now go."

She stayed silent and let Sebastian carry her to the laboratory so she can finally return to her true body. But Lucy didn't care about that, all she wanted was to take her friends to safety.

Hidenori watched leave, amused. It was true, that girl had such a kind heart. Her soul seems so pure and is unlike any of the souls he's ever seen. But she is also special. Despite her behavior, being such a kind, sweet, loving, innocent, and selfless girl as most people views her, she is still not immune to the Seven Deadly Sins. She has sometimes shown signs of having them, but in the inside, she was much more worse than that. Like everyone else, she too has her inner demon. However she refuses to let any of it out. All that darkness building up inside of her, it only makes her worse. The longer she acts so selfless and loving, the more evil and selfish she becomes in the inside. And that creates a very evil version of her, similarly like a multiple personality. But she knows about it and she refuses to let it out that was why he chose her. She can bring such chaos if she only lets it out. However she refuses to do so, and that's why he's here. It was time for a much more evil woman to wreak havoc in this world. And she will definitely help in taking over the country of Fiore. He'll make sure of that.

* * *

"Kazuki, now that that's taken care of, what now?" Galan asked. They were now on their way towards Adora's bedroom when Galan broke the uncomfortable silence settling between them.

"What do you mean?" Kazuki raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well, don't you wonder how Adore-chan will react?"

The man only sighed. "She'll get over it. Anyway, she did say that it was her choice to leave Dragneel."

"No, not that. I mean . . ." Galan trailed off.

"Huh? What is it?"

"Kazuki-san, I think he means about the execution." Aeschylus piped up.

"_Yeah, he's got a point._" Artemis said. "_I don't know that brat very well, but I'm pretty sure she doesn't want to have her friends killed. Even though they were acting like a bunch of assholes._"

"Yeah, she's got a point." Galan said, making Kazuki sweat drop.

" . . uh . . . guys, you do remember that only the two of you can hear that thing, right?"

"_Don't call me a 'thing'! I'm not some sort of object!_" Artemis yelled, sending an attack at him, which he immediately dodged.

"Whoa, Artemis-chan, what's wrong?"

"_DIDN'T I TELL YOU NOT TO ADD '-CHAN' TO MY NAME?_" she shrieked.

"Actually, he didn't hear you remember?" Galan said. "Aeschylus didn't tell him."

"_Why didn't you tell him!_" Artemis faced her counterpart.

"I-I forgot . . ."

"Guys! Let's get back to the point here!" Kazuki said, calming them down.

"Oh, yeah . . ." they said.

"Anyway, I guess Addei-chan and the others would have already taken care of it." he said, then suddenly Sebastian appeared with Adora on his shoulder.

"Hey guys." she greeted.

"A-Adora-chan?"

"See ya." she smiled. "Oh, and thanks, by the way."

"W-wait! What's going on?" Aeschylus asked.

"_Want me to beat that Sebastian up?_" Artemis asked.

"We don't even know what's going on." Galan told her.

"Sebastian, what's going on? Where are you taking her?" Kazuki asked, worried that Adora might have done something stupid.

"I'm taking her to the laboratory." the butler explained. "She's going back to her true body."

They were frozen and they stared wide-eyed at them as they disappeared from their sight, and they were still speechless. What the hell just happened?

"What did she do?" Kazuki asked to no one in particular.

"_What if she did something stupid?_" Artemis asked, making Aeschylus and Galan really worried.

"We better go get the girls, first." Galan suggested and they did just that.

* * *

Adora was lay on one of the tables of the laboratory, with her body laying on the body next to her. Hooded figures surrounded her, and they seemed busy doing some sort of spell. She didn't really understand though. All she knew is that she was going back to her own body, she didn't know how. Then suddenly, her eyes started to glow, even the one that was covered with an eye patch. Sebastian removed it, revealing her brown eye. Lucy's body started to glow, and so did Adora's. Magic circles appeared on both of it.

That was when the SSS came; Hyosuke wasn't there of course, since he was still unconscious. Their eyes widened and they turned to Sebastian.

"Oi! What's going on here?" Addei yelled.

"Sebby-chan! What's the meaning of this?" Kiyomi said.

"_Where does this girl come up with all these nicknames?_" Artemis sweat dropped. Well, it was true. Kiyomi was the one who came up of Lucy's new name; Adora. She also called Addei; "Addie" at times and now she's calling Sebastian "Sebby". What the hell's next? But the shadow seemed to have been ignored since there were more important matters at hand, and by that I mean, Galan and Aeschylus decided to ignore her this one time.

"The princess made a deal with his majesty, the prince. And now here she is, about to return to her body. She had accepted the offer in exchange for the freedom of her friends." the butler explained. The SSS were silent for a moment as they processed his words before huddling together.

"She accepted, huh?" Kazuki whispered, making sure that no one else could hear him.

"But whether or not her friends were captured, wasn't Adora-chan going to accept the offer anyway?" Kiyomi asked.

"Yeah, well, she must've just taken advantage of the situation. Since she was going to accept anyway, she had nothing to lose. So she probably just decide to kill two birds with one stone." Addei explained.

"Smart kid." Artemis mumbled.

"I wish I was smart like that." Aeschylus mumbled. Suddenly, they sensed a strong surge of energy and turned to see the ritual about to be completed. The brown eye that was on Adora's body was removed and was now being placed on Lucy's body, but they caught a glimpse of it and noticed that it was glowing. Red electricity surrounded both of the bodies. Then, as the brown eye was placed where it belongs, a large magic circle formed on top of it, almost taking up all the space of the entire room. The hooded men started chanting ancient words and scriptures as they continued on with the spell. Once they were finished, the magic circle shrunk and disappeared into Lucy's left eye.

Silence filled the room, no one dared to speak or even move a muscle. They just stared at the blonde. A few seconds had already passed until she blinked. They held their breath. Lucy blinked once again, before closing her eyes and fell unconscious.

"It's a success!" One of them yelled.

"Good." Sebastian nodded. "Now, hurry on to the other spell!"

"Wait, what?" the SSS asked.

"What other spell?" Addei asked.

"It is the spell that allows people to let out their inner demon. It shows how evil a person truly is on the inside." Sebastian explained. "She shall also be under the prince's control, obeying his every command for all eternity."

"What?" they yelled.

"W-we didn't know about this!" Kazuki said.

"You mean Adora-chan will be in some sort of hypnosis for the rest of her life?" Kiyomi asked.

"Why weren't we told about this?" Addei asked, outraged.

"The master's palns does not concern you. What matters is that you did your job, and you did it well. Now please return to your rooms."

"But-"

"Return to your room before I get the master himself to come here." Sebastian said in a serious expression. They froze and started sweating. This man was never the type to bluff. So they had no choice but to follow as he says with complete horror and disbelief in their eyes as well as worry.

They had honestly did not expect any of this to happen. They thought that once Adora accepts the offer, she'll return to her own body, gain power, and then things will be as they've always been. They'd hang out everyday and Adora would just act as she always does. They didn't know that she'll be hypnotized and become one of his highness' obedient little servants, always emotionless and lack freedom. This isn't how it was supposed to be! They went to their own rooms, and started regretting their actions. How could they let this happen?

* * *

Inside the main room where the king's throne is located, his highness and the prince is there, having a little conversation about the events that had taken place.

"Hidenori, have you done it yet?" the king asked.

"Do not worry, father. The ritual is being performed as we speak."

"And how did you convince the girl, exactly." Hidenori sighed.

"Well, not as I had expected." he admitted. "It seems that it was her friends that intruded the castle the other day. And she accepted the offer in exchange of their freedom."

"It seems that her soul is rather pure." the king eyed him suspiciously. "Does she even have the potential to shoulder such responsibilities?"

"Do not fret, dear father, for I have things under my control." Hidenori said, and as if on cue, Sebastian appeared.

"Master, she is ready."

"Ah, speak of the devil." he smirked.

"Well then, bring her in." the king said impatiently. And they did. Lucy then entered the room along with a lot of other guards and hooded servants, and she was almost unrecognizable. Her blonde hair reached her waist, her eyes were red instead of brown, and she was wearing a very revealing dress. She had a serious expression that almost seems as if she was glaring at the king himself.

"It was a success. We had managed to put her through both spells without any side effects." Sebastian informed them.

"You did very well, Sebastian." Hidenori walked up to the blonde and caressed her cheek. Lucy didn't do anything about it, her expression just changed from serious to emotionless.

"Finally, I have you." Hidenori whispered, before stating to his servants that were in the same room. "In a few days, at the very night of the eclipse, Lucy Heartphilia shall be crowned the queen of Visna."

He smirked. "And she will do that by becoming my bride." he announced.

"I am proud of you, my dear son. You shall be a great king." the king said. "Now then, I want every one of you to take care of the preparations for the ceremony."

"Understood." they said and left the room to follow their orders.

* * *

**Well, that's all for today. Oh, and I got the nickname: "Sebby" from the anime: "Kuroshitsuji" or Black Butler. I'm sure some of you may know it.**

**Anyway, Please review ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**


	18. Accepting and Making up for it

**I****'m so sorry this took longer than it was supposed to! I was supposed to post this chapter a few days ago, but I had writer's block. Plus I focused on my other story. Anyway, I already finished it, so now I only have two stories to focus on, so I'll be able to update a little faster! That is, if my writer's block won't stop me again. -_-"**

**Anyway, please enjoy chapter 18 that has 3634 words not including A/N!**

* * *

"Is it ready?" Hidenori asked, he was standing at the balcony of his room with a few guards and Sebastian, holding a glass of red wine. He wasn't looking at them; he was staring at the view from the balcony, not bothering to turn around to face them.

"Not yet, master. But I assure you that it will be ready for the eclipse." Sebastian said.

"Have all the preparations been made?"

"Yes." Hidenori smiled at this.

"And the prisoners?"

"Their wounds are already healing. I believe that they will also be ready in time."

"Good, you are dismissed." they bowed and left the room. Hidenori still didn't turn around to look at them leave. When he heard the door close, he started observing the glass of wine he was holding. Tipping it a bit and thinking of how much it resembled blood. Then he started smirking as he recalled his plan.

Every year, a special kind of lunar eclipse occurs in the country of Visna. It prevents everyone in the land to use any magic, since the people can only use black magic since the kingdom's cursed. And because of that, it left them vulnerable for years, there had been countless times that other countries had tried to invade them. But luckily, they had survived each one. For years, they have been trying to find a solution to this problem, but the couldn't, until now that is. Hidenori has found the key to make their country immune to the eclipse's power. And the only way he can do that was with a Celestial mage.

Celestial mages have power over the skies. Mainly the stars, but also the moon. So they have power over the eclipse. But Celestial mages don't have enough strength to do that, if they did, they wouldn't be going through any of this. So that's why Prince Hidenori must be wed to a Celestial mage at the day of the eclipse, when they'll be able to lift the curse upon them.

The fact that a Celestial mage is one of the rarest types of mages is the main reason why they couldn't have done it before. But the immunity from the eclipse is not the only thing that would help their country. It is also the fact that Celestial magic can also be considered as light magic.

In their country, when a royalty is wed, their powers, fate, and souls combine, along with all the ones of the past rulers, and they shall have power over the kingdom. It's kind of a tradition to them. And when Hidenori's dark magic is combined with a Celestial mage's light magic, it will give them power over the eclipse. Light and dark magic are the two strongest type of magic known to man, so when those two are combined, the results will be unimaginable. The country of Visna will be invincible.

But there's a catch of course. Since light magic and dark magic are complete opposites, there is a chance that their bodies will become unstable and both the bride and the groom will die. In all of the history of Visna, the king will only marry a woman from his land. And since everyone in this country uses dark magic, they had never encountered such a problem. But that's why Lucy can be considered as special.

There were dark energies that surrounded her. Dark auras, negative emotions, and evil desires. Even if she's so kind in the outside, she has such a dark side as well. She also has an inner demon. And that's how they could make it stable. All of her darkness, evil intentions, and negative emotions, they could convert it all into power.

It has been known through the centuries about the ability to turn your feelings and use them as fuel for your magic power. And that's what their going to do. Lucy has had negative emotions building up inside of her. Jealousy, Hurt, Greed, Anger, all of those negative emotions, they will be able to use to turn it into dark magic. So Lucy would be given dark magic as well before the day they'll be wed. It will be easy for them to do that, since they were able to do it with some of the SSS members.

But the curse on Visna can not be lifted that easily, of course. There is one last thing they need before they can perform the ritual that will lift the curse. And they were able to achieve that one essential factor with just pure luck.

In order for them to perform the ritual, they must have the power of the dragons. And guess what type of magic the intruders from a few days ago had?

Dragon slaying magic.

And with that, they will take all of the power of those men with that type of magic and use them as human sacrifices. A few measly lives would never compare to the lives of all the people in entire country after all.

That's when Hidenori recalled the agreement he had with his bride. There was nothing to worry about. He _will _set her friends free, just not all of them. The prince smirked, and then there was a knock at his door. He turned around and said in a loud voice; "Come in."

Lucy entered, she had the very same appearance she had when she faced him and the king the other day after she was returned to her true body and fell under his control. She was now hypnotized. She was under the prince's control; a mere puppet like Sebastian was right now. Hidenori walked up to her and cupped her chin making her look at him in the eye. Her cheerful and bright brown eyes were now replaced with lifeless, dull, red ones.

"Ah, you are such a naive girl." Hidenori said, not caring about the fact that the true Lucy Heartphilia will not be able to hear him. The man started to observe her from head to toe. He supposed that being married to this woman will not only benefit his country, but he himself as well. She was much more evil inside than Addei, much more beautiful than Kiyomi, and soon she will also be much more stronger than Hyosuke.

"But soon enough, you'll be a completely different person." he said. "Soon, you'll be mine."

The blonde didn't say anything and just kept staring at him.

* * *

Addei stood outside of the prince's room. Her bangs covered her eyes as she heard what the prince had just said. She then walked away and went back to her room.

Life is so cruel, isn't it? Especially to her. But why? Why did it have to be this way? Addei passed by the kitchen where Kazuki was currently at, cooking dinner.

"Ah, Addei-chan, I was just wondering if you could-" but Addei ignored the man and kept on walking. Kazuki blinked and started wondering if she was okay.

"Oi! Let me out! Let me out!" A voice yelled and Kazuki turned to the blue exceed who was trapped inside of a cage next to the stove.

"Be quiet, you!" he said, going back to cooking.

"No way! Let me go! Where's Natsu? I have to help him!" Happy cried as he continued to struggle.

"Oh shut up, your friend is in our dungeons. And you should be grateful that we're not hurting you anyway, in fact, we're going to set you free in a few days." Kazuki said, annoyed. Hope started shining in the blue cat's eyes. Kazuki didn't want to act heartless and destroy it by telling him the truth . . .

Oh wait, he did.

"As soon as Lucy gets married to the prince, then you'd be free to go." he said rather coldly, enjoying the cat's reaction. He, along with the rest of the SSS, has already been informed of the plan. And he supposed that this cat did have the right to know about it.

"Wh-what do you mean? Lucy's getting married?" Happy asked as he felt a mixture of shock and confusion.

"Why yes. She agreed to marry the prince in exchange to us letting you free." he said, smirking. "Then after that, she'll be trapped here forever, and you'll never see her again."

"L-Lucy . . . she . . ." Happy whispered as tears started filling his eyes before he started crying out loud and struggling even more. "LUCY! NO! LET ME GO! I have to tell Natsu! He'll save her for sure!"

Kazuki snickered as he saw Happy's reaction, but as soon as he turned away, his sadistic smile faded as he, too, started to worry about Lucy. Yes, he wanted to set Adora free, he wanted what was best for her. But he knew there was no way that could happen. Well, he could even set that Dragneel boy and the others free! It'll be way too easy to do that! But there was no way they could win. Even if the entire SSS were to help them, they couldn't defeat the King, or even the Prince. They were way too strong. It was better to just leave things be and accept things as they are.

'_I'm so sorry, Adora-chan._' he thought as he continued to ignore the blue exceed's cries and pleas.

* * *

Addei lay on her bed as she was left in deep thought. She supposed she had no choice but to accept things as they are. Adora was now under a hypnotism spell for the rest of her life and she'll be married to the prince. Well, at least she won't have to suffer being away from all the people she cares about.

Meanwhile she, and the rest of the SSS, will have to suffer through all this. But she wondered if their pain will ever compare to hers, because not only did she lose a precious friend who she has come to love, but her heart is now also broken to pieces.

Was it wrong if she said she had fallen for Prince Hidenori?

Well, how could she not? He gave her a home. He let her live in this castle, despite all the things she's done. He was the first one who understood what her. He taught her how to use her magic. He made her the woman she was today. He gave her everything. People might view him as an evil and selfish man, but it wasn't like she was any different. Yes, the great and mighty Addei was head over heels in love over the Prince of Visna and soon-to-be heir to the throne, even if their statuses differ like heaven and earth.

And yet she cared for the woman who will soon be married to him. How ironic.

She mist admit, she did have great hatred towards Lucy before and had acted very smugly towards her. But somehow, she saw how nice Lucy was to the others and in a matter of days, they grew closer than she was to the others. Especially after she found out that they were in the same situation. They both have someone they liked who can never be theirs because they don't like them back. But of course, Lucy didn't know that Addei like Hidenori. In fact, no one knew.

_"You're not so bad, after all, Addei-san. All you needed was to open up a little bit."_

How could someone say that a person was 'not so bad' after knowing that she took tons of lives and will never hesitate to do it again?

"You were just following orders. I understand that."

She thought that the girl was acting foolish and naive, at first, but ever since Lucy had said that to her, every night, she would think about her words very deeply. And she soon came into a conclusion.

Lucy was right, but not entirely.

Addei had been following the king's orders obediently, fought bravely, and acted all high and mighty, but not because she was part of the SSS. It wasn't because it was her duty to do all that. It was because, secretly, she had been hoping that if she did so, she'll be able to win the prince's heart. She even tried to persuade Adora to go on and marry him because he asked her to, since she thought that Hidenori was marrying her only for his country and not for true love so she had thought it was okay. But she had been foolish.

Prince Hidenori was indeed a cruel and selfish bastard who cares about no one but himself. He has no conscience and is pure evil that he should not even be considered as human. Such a man will never understand a thing such as 'love'. Why had she been so stupid as to fall for such a man? Now she has to suffer having her heart broken and losing a precious friend.

How foolish can she be?

* * *

Erza's head ached, her body was numb, and she couldn't move. But despite all that, she willed herself to open her eyes. And when she did, she saw long blonde hair that was somehow familiar.

"Lu . . ." the figure gasped and turned towards her. Erza's eyes widened, she wasn't Lucy. The scarlet haired mage then tried to move, but then she suddenly felt pain shot troughout her body. She gasped, shutting her eyes tightly as she winced in pain.

"Easy!" someone said. "You're still hurt!"

Erza opened her eye to see a blonde girl who seemed about the same age as her, kneeling in front of her. She stared at her with a worried look as Erza continued to breathe heavily.

"Who . . ."

"I'm Mia." the girl quickly answered. "Don't worry; I treated your wounds, along with the rest of your friends."

" . . uh . . . Mia . . ?" another voice was heard and they both turned to see a green haired man standing at the door of the cell next to a silver haired man who seemed asleep. Erza noticed that the green haired man's shadow seemed a bit peculiar, since it was leaning forward instead of being in the same position the man was in.

"Oh, fine. Yeah, these guys helped too." Mia pouted.

"I'm Aeschylus, this man is Galan, and this is my shadow, Artemis." the green haired man said and Erza's eyes widened as his shadow suddenly waved at her. Meanwhile, Galan seemed like he was asleep.

"Yeah, and this might be a bit awkward, but . . ." Mia trailed off. "Well, you see . . . I- _We_ - were the ones . . . well technically, it was Addei, but- . . ."

"_Oh for God's sake, Aeschylus! Spit it out for her!_" Artemis yelled.

"We're the SSS." Aeschylus dead panned.

"_Much better._" Artemis nodded. Meanwhile, Mia had stared at them in pure shock while a very dark and scary aura started to surround Erza.

"You . . ." the scarlet haired mage muttered.

"I'm sorry!" Mia squeaked as she bowed. "I'm so, so sorry! But the king ordered us to! We had to do it!"

"Wh-why are you apologizing . . ?" Erza asked in confusion. She had already noticed that she was covered in chains and that she couldn't use her magic, plus she was greatly injured. What was this girl afraid of? "Aren't you my enemy?"

"Well, here's the thing . . ." Mia said. "We kind of owe a friend here, and we decided to make it up to her by helping you guys."

"What does your friend have to do with me?" Erza asked.

"Ever heard of a girl named Lucy?" Galan asked, making the re-quip mage froze at the mention of her nakama's name.

"Lucy . . ? How do you . . ?"

"She's alive. We resurrected her." Aeschylus said, Erza froze in shock.

"She's . . . alive . . ."

"Yeah, but we kind of got her into some deep shit. So we're helping you to make it up to her." Mia explained frantically. "We're so sorry about getting you hurt in the first place, by the way. Well, technically it was Addei who beat you up, but we did hurt your friends too. Oh, but don't worry! They're alright now! We treated their wounds too."

"How do you know Lucy?" she asked.

"Well, she was kept prisoner here and we made friends with her. She's really nice." Mia said, smiling brightly, Erza couldn't help but smile as well but her expression soon grew serious.

"C-can't you set me free, along with my friends?" Erza asked. "That way, we can save Lucy!"

"Well, of course we can set you free." Mia said, and Erza felt great happiness, but it all disappeared when Mia continued on. "But we won't do that."

"Wh-why not . . ?"

"Well, for one thing, there is absolutely no way you can do that." Galan said.

"_It's suicide! Suicide I tell ya!_" Artemis yelled.

"Even that mage saint of yours lost on his battle with the prince." Aeschylus muttered, but Erza heard her loud and clear.

"Jura . . ? But how . . . ?"

"It just proves that fighting us is the real deal." Mia said. "And even if the whole SSS were to help you, the chances of us winning are still low. Not that, we'll help you, anyway."

"_Pssh, that's like digging our own grave!_" Artemis yelled.

"What is it with you and yelling?" Galan asked.

"_Well, it's not like anyone else can hear me, so who cares?_"

"Anyway, its best that you just stay put and wait until next week." Mia told her.

"Why? What'll happen next week?"

"Well, you'll be freed."

"And what'll happen to Lucy?"

"She'll be staying here."

"What?" Erza yelled as she jolted up, but then she froze as pain shot throughout her body once again.

"Shh! Do you know how much trouble we'll get ourselves in just by being here?" Mia hissed.

"I'm not leaving without Lucy!" Erza hissed.

"Well, you don't have a choice." Mia said, standing up. "There's nothing you can do about it."

"Besides, Lucy would want you to go back to your home and be happy." Aeschylus said as they started locking the cell once again.

"How do you know that?" Erza hissed.

"Because that's all Lucy's been telling us ever since she got here." Galan replied, making her pause. And without waiting for a reply, they left the S-class mage frozen in shock at their words.

* * *

Hyosuke groaned as he started to regain consciousness. Kiyomi gasped at this. She was just keeping an eye at him in the infirmary since she had nothing better to do. But she didn't expect him to wake up already.

"Hyosuke-kun!" she cried.

"K-Kiyo . . . mi . . ?" he muttered as he tried to sit up, but he winced in pain and fell back down.

"Hyosuke-kun! I'm so glad you're awake!" she smiled.

"I . . . what happened . . ?" he asked. And Kiyomi soon started filling him in on everything. About the intruders, who they were, how they won against them, about Adora, the dream they set up for her and the man she loved, and what had happened to her.

"Wow, I missed a lot, huh?" he smirked.

"Yeah, so I'm glad you're finally awake."

"But really, it's amazing that I woke up already. Wouldn't it usually take at least a week?"

"Yeah." Kiyomi nodded. "Looks like you're getting stronger, so maybe you'll be able to control your transformation soon."

"Yeah." he said and there was a silence. "So . . . Adora's . . ."

"Yeah . . ." Kiyomi said, getting really gloomy as she felt great guilt. Hyosuke noticed this so he tried to cheer her up.

"Hey, at least he got to meet that bastard before it happened."

"Yeah, I guess that's a positive side." she said, forcing a smile. But it soon faded. "But I still wonder if it's our fault. I mean . . . we were the ones who told her to accept."

"But we didn't know that she'll be the prince's mindless puppet." Hyosuke told her.

"But still!" Kiyomi said, standing up as tears of frustration started forming in the corners of her eyes. Hyosuke stared at her in shock and then sighed.

"Kiyomi, don't worry." he told her as he stretched an arm out. The girl took it and he pulled her and made her sit down. Then he placed a hand on her shoulder in a comforting way.

"Don't worry, it's going to be alright." he told her in a very sincere voice that quickly calmed her down and but that didn't prevent her tears from falling. "I'm sure things would work out in the end."

"How do you know . . ?"

"I just do." he said, resting his forehead on hers. "Look, soon enough, things will work out and everything will be back to normal in the end."

"Really . . ?" she asked, wiping her tears away.

"I promise."

"Okay, I'll trust you." she said, wiping her tears and forcing a smile.

"Good." he smiled at her and patted her head. In his head, he was just hoping he was right and it does work out in the end, not only because he does not want to cheer up a crying Kiyomi again, but because he was also worried for Adora. And he knew the others were thinking the same.

* * *

**I hope you guys liked it! **

**Please review ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**

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	19. Love and Hate

**Oh my God, I AM SO SORRY! I haven't updated for like, TWO FRIGGIN' MONTHS! I'M SO SORRY! GOMEN NE SAI! Look, I know I told you guys that I will be able to post faster since I already finished one of my three strories. But instead, I disappeared for two months! I'm so sorry!**

**Well, our laptop broke, and I couldn't write the next chapter without my laptop of course. Other than that, my mom disconnected our internet for a month and a half. And then there was also my writer's block. Yup, an author's number one enemy.**

**Plus there was that speech choir we had to practice for and then there's this play we had to rehearse for too. And we still have to practice for it until now. Our laptop was fixed and our internet was reconnected only yesterday, so I only had time to finish this chapter today. And believe me when I say I seriously made sure that this chapter was going to be posted TODAY. Anyway, there are exactly 3,728 words, not including A/N!**

**So well, give me some credit. And PLEASE FORGIVE ME! **

**Well, on with the story!**

* * *

Erza stared into space as Mia started to unwrap her bandages. Mia whistled as she worked while Galan and Aeschylus were her look outs. It has already been about a week since they were caught, so her wounds had already fully healed. Other than that, tonight was the night of the eclipse. And tomorrow morning, Erza and her friends will all be set free. Well, most of them anyway. Unfortunately, Erza didn't know the fate of all her dragon slaying companions.

"There, you'll be able to leave without any trouble now." Mia said, but Erza just remained silent.

"_What? No 'thank you', you spoiled bitch?_" Artemis asked, annoyed.

"Artemis, don't be rude. Aeschylus lightly scolded her.

"_Oi! Don't tell me what to do!_" Artemis yelled at him. "_And besides, it's not like she can hear me or anything._"

"But still . . ." Aeschylus muttered. And the two started arguing, Artemis was getting really annoyed at Aeschylus, and Aeschylus was trying his best to calm down his shadow. The two were being ignored by the other three, even Galan who could hear Artemis.

" . . um . . . what was your name, again?" Galan asked. "Eliza? Erna? Elma?"

"_Erza._" Mia corrected him, the said mage remained quiet but continued to listen to them talk.

"Right, Erza, can I ask you something?" Erza didn't respond, but Galan took it as a 'yes'.

"Do you know a boy named; 'Natsu'?" he asked. This made Erza look at him with wide eyes and Aeschylus and Artemis stopped fighting as well.

"_Of course she knows him, you idiot!_" Artemis yelled. "_What kind of stupid question is that?_"

"Artemis . . ." Aeschylus motioned his shadow to keep quiet.

"Wh-what . . ?" Erza asked.

"Well, he was one of the guys Ado- _Lucy_ liked to talk about, along with you and a guy named Gray, of course." Galan explained.

"By the way, he, along with two other of your friends, are being kept in a much more secured cell. It's too risky to come to them so we didn't. And because of that, we weren't able to bandage them up." Mia explained.

"I'm A- Lucy would have wanted all of you healed, though. But we did our best." Aeschylus said.

"_Yeah, I'm sure she would thank us a million times, anyway. Unlike this bitch right here._" his shadow said.

"Artemis!" he said, though he still had a bit of a lifeless tone, like he and Galan always did.

Erza was silent for a moment. "Did . . . did Lucy miss us?"

"Of course, she missed you!" Mia said with a smile.

"She always talked about you and said things like you guys would come and save her." Aeschylus added.

"She couldn't wait to come back to your guild." Galan said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"She said a lot of things about you." Mia said. "You're the strongest female mage in your guild, right?"

"Yeah, although when it comes to things like romance and acting, you need a little help and someone to back you up." Galan said.

"She really idolizes you and even treats you like her older sister." Aeschylus added. "She said that you were one of the people she couldn't wait to see again."

Silence filled the air. Mia was still smiling along with Galan, Aeschylus and Artemis at the mere thought of Lucy. On the other hand, Erza was emotionless and her eyes were covered by her bangs.

"I'm such a failure." Erza muttered, and they looked at her in confusion. She frowned as she slightly trembled and forced herself not to let her tears fall.

"Erza . . ?" Mia asked.

"It's my entire fault that we're all captured right now. I took the bait and led us to their trap! If only I hadn't been so stupid! Then maybe we wouldn't be in this mess." She said.

"Don't be too hard on yourself." Galan told her.

"Yeah, it's not your fault." Aeschylus said.

"BUT IT IS!" Erza snapped, shocking the others. Her tears were now freely falling down from her face.

"E-Erza . . ." Mia patted her shoulder trying to comfort her.

"Not only did I fall for their trap like an idiot, but I also hadn't been strong enough!" Erza sobbed and covered her face with her cuffed hands.

"Wh-what do you mean you hadn't been strong enough?" Mia asked.

"_Didn't she almost beat the living crap out of Addei?_" Artemis asked. "_How can she say that she's not strong?"_

"Maybe she's underestimating herself like Artemis does all the time." Galan muttered.

"Don't say that, Erza! You're really strong! At least, that's what Lucy told us. Anyway, you did manage to fight against Addei-chan as well!" Mia said, trying to stop her from crying. Lucy will be mad at her if she knew that she made Erza cry.

"B-but I lost . . ." Erza muttered.

"Well, yeah . . . but you still managed to hurt her real badly! That's a great achievement!" Mia told her.

"But . . . I was supposed to defeat her . . ." Erza said, her bangs now covering her face.

"Well, doing that is practically impossible. And even if you did beat Addei, you'd be defeated by the prince, anyway. Plus, a lot of your other friends lost too, you know." Galan reminded her.

There was a silence.

"It's not just that . . ." Erza muttered, earning her more stares of confusion.

"What do you mean? What is it?" Mia asked. Erza paused for a moment before answering.

"If only I had been strong . . ." she said, recalling a certain night that led to all this. "If only I hadn't been so stupid."

She started to explain everything. All her thoughts of the night Lucy had supposedly 'died'. How she thought it had all been her fault. If only she had stayed with Lucy and refused to split up, then maybe Lucy wouldn't have been captured by that rock doll. Then maybe, Lucy wouldn't have had to suffer so much. If only she had the strength to fight against that damned prince, then maybe she could have been able to save Lucy. Mia continued on comforting her as more tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

"Don't take it too hard on yourself, Erza. You tried hard. You didn't want something like that to happen to Lucy. It's not your fault." Mia said. "Besides . . ."

Mia was unable to continue, as she too started to feel great depression and guilt the same as Erza's. So Galan continued for her, because he, along with Aeschylus and Artemis, already knew what Mia was going to say.

"You didn't know something like that was going to happen." He muttered. "If you did, you'd surely have at least tried to do something about it."

They bowed their heads in shame as they thought of how they can relate on how the ex-quip mage felt.

Then suddenly, Artemis felt the presence of someone approaching. "_Oi, Aeschylus! Someone's coming! Hit the deck!_"

"Someone's coming!" he warned his friends, making their eyes widened and panic quickly struck them.

"What're we going to do?" Galan asked.

"Hey you hear something?" they heard a male voice ask, and from the sound of it, he was getting close.

"Eh? It's probably nothing." another voice answered.

"Oh crap, guards! We're not supposed to go anywhere near here! If someone were to find us here, we'll be dead meat!" Mia said, panicking but still managed to keep her voice down.

"_Don't just stand there, you idiot! Close the door!_" Artemis told Aeschylus. "_They'll definitely get suspicious if they see it unlocked, so don't forget to lock it either! __I'll just unlock it for you idiots later!_"

"O-oh, y-yeah." the man immediately obeyed, making sure that he didn't make a sound.

"But even with the door locked, they'd have to be blind not to see us in here!" Galan whispered harshly.

"_Shut up! I got it covered._" Artemis said and she grew in size and hid the three SSS members inside her body, similar to how Juvia managed to hide Gray inside her body when Erza was kidnapped and brought to the Tower of Heaven. Artemis then went to a dark corner near Erza and hid her presence.

"Anyway, how many dragon slayers are there in this dungeon?" one of the guards asked.

"Five, I think."

"Dragon slayers?" Erza asked in confusion.

"Maybe they have something to do with the ceremony." she heard Mia say.

"_Actually, they're practically the center of the whole ceremony. Next to the prince and Ad- Lucy that is._" Artemis said, none of them were still used to calling Adora; 'Lucy' yet.

"What do you mean?" Galan asked, they spoke in hushed voices to make sure that the guards won't hear them. "What does the dragon slayers have to do with Lucy?"

"What?" Erza asked.

"Galan, Aeschylus, what's Artemis saying?" Mia asked. Of course, Erza and Mia weren't able to hear what Aeschylus' shadow was saying. So they were at lost. Thankfully, Aeschylus knew what Artemis was talking about, so he decided to explain in his shadow's stead.

"We got really curious of what was going to happen to Lucy. So we did some research and a bit snooping around." he explained. "We found out that the whole ceremony is going to be performed for the sake of the kingdom."

"Wait a minute, what ceremony are we talking about here?" Erza asked.

"Oh, that's right; we haven't told you the reason why Lucy's staying." Mia said. Then they started explaining everything to Erza, how the blonde was getting married to the prince, the eclipse, the ceremony that was going to happen tonight, and how the dragon slayers will be the human sacrifices for the ceremony. Erza couldn't believe what she just heard. Not only will she never see Lucy again, but Natsu, along with all the other dragon slayers with them, will be killed in order to help this kingdom. This kingdom that is filled with pure evil and aims to take over her home country. How could she let this happen?

"No! I can't let that happen!" Erza yelled and started struggling through the chains.

"Oi! What's with all the ruckus?" one of the guards asked.

"Let me go!" she yelled with pure anger, venom was visible in her voice. "Let me go this instant!"

"_Someone tell this bitch to keep it together and calm down!_" Artemis yelled. "_Or else our cover will be blown!_"

"Erza, calm down! Please!" Mia said, as quietly as possible.

"Oi!" the guard said, and suddenly, Erza was electrocuted and it almost made her fall unconscious.

"Erza . . ." Mia muttered, worriedly.

"_Idiot . . ._" Artemis said.

"Damn, what a pain in the ass." the guard said.

"Oi, are you alright?" Aeschylus asked.

Galan sighed. "And just when your wounds were fully healed."

"Erza, are you ok?" Mia asked. "Erza?"

The scarlet haired mage couldn't find the energy to reply. She heard Mia's voice continually asking her with a worried voice. Her eyelids suddenly felt heavy and she soon drifted off to unconsciousness.

* * *

Natsu once again struggled to gain freedom from the chains that bound him to this nightmare. He didn't care how tired he felt right now, he only had one thing in mind.

Lucy.

He had to get out of here and go save her. He just knew that she was waiting for him right now. He knew that right now she was counting on him to save her once again, like he did all the time. And he can't just let her down.

"Dammit." he muttered as he finally stopped struggling and let his body rest for a second. Silence filled the air as he could only hear the sound of his loud and heavy breathing resounding through the walls. His mind started to wander off once again and he started to feel very familiar emotions he had started to have ever since he met Lucy again from that dream.

Guilt, sorrow, and worry.

Well, you can't blame him for feeling that way. It's natural. One, he thinks that this was his entire fault. Two, he really missed Lucy and he wondered why she came with that Kazuki bastard and not him. And three, he wondered if the blonde was still alright right now. Where is she? Is she safe? Did that bastard hurt her? He better not have, or else that guy's in for a good beating. Natsu was going to beat the living shit out of him if he ever sees that guy again.

His face suddenly grew gravely serious. Why did Lucy come with that guy anyway? Could it be? That . . . she was mad at him? Did she hate him for what he did that night? Did she hate him enough to come with the enemy and leave him?

But he soon realized that something like that was impossible. And only then did he remember a very important part of that meeting. Lucy said something to him. It was something she said before she kissed him. He was stupid enough to forget it because his mind kept wandering off to that kiss, which he had thought was only a_ friend's_ way of saying good bye. But now that he recalled those words, everything became clear to him now.

_"Good bye, Natsu." she whispered, finally letting a single teardrop fall. "I love you . . ."_

That was what she said before they kissed. She had confessed her feelings to him and he had been dumb enough to forget. Damn, he really was a big idiot. But now, everything became clear to him now.

Natsu felt great surge of emotional pain in his chest. Ah, guilt, it was a very familiar yet very painful feeling he may never be able to get used to nor be able to get rid of.

She loved him. Lucy loved him. And yet he had said such harsh words to her. He yelled at her and let his anger out on her. It must have been painful. He knew that she must have been incredibly hurt at what he did. Who wouldn't be after knowing that the person you love was mad at you? The person you loved hated you. It was only natural to feel like that.

As of now, Natsu now understood the pain Lucy felt that day. Lucy probably hated him right now. And he couldn't blame her. He practically broke her heart. He made her suffer through so much. But he supposed he was wrong. I mean, who would tell someone they hate that they loved them? Let alone, kiss them?

Lucy sure was a weirdo. This thought made him smile. No matter what the situation, she had always managed to stay strong and give him a heart-warming smile. And he loved her for that. Even after everything he's done to her, she still loved him, nonetheless. And he sure as hell won't disappoint her this time. He's going to get out of here, and afterwards he was going to find his mate and rescue her. Then she'll take her far away from here. He's going to bring his Lucy back home, to Fairy Tail.

"I'm all fired up." he said to no one in particular, knowing that no one but himself could hear it. He just couldn't wait to escape this prison cell and go save his mate.

As if on cue, he heard the door to his cell unlock. He jolted his head up and his eyes widened. At the door of his cell stood one of the Visna guards. Behind him, he could see Laxus, being pulled out of his cell too, cuffed and with the rope that prevents them from using magic still tied around his body tightly.

The guard took a key from his pocket and unlocked the chains that held Natsu in place. The fire mage didn't waste any time. As soon as the chains were unlocked, he threw a kick at the guard and dashed away. But then, more guards appeared and outnumbered him. Natsu didn't stand a chance, since he was also still tied and handcuffed with a kind of material that prevents him from using his magic.

"Dammit." he muttered.

"Geez, these Fiore bastards are just so damn persistent." one guard said.

"Whatever, let's just take them to his majesty, the prince." another said.

Natsu then saw that he and Laxus weren't the only one being taken, he saw Gajeel, Sting, Rogue, and Wendy being pulled out of their cells, too.

"Oi, what the hell?" Gajeel yelled.

"Hey, hands off!" Sting said.

"Release us at once!" Rogue added.

"Natsu-san! Laxus-san!" Wendy cried, feeling relieved that they were alright.

"Wendy." Natsu called out, also relieved to see that they were alright.

"Oi, what's going on?" Laxus said, demanding to know.

"We're taking you to Prince Hidenori, who would soon be the king of our land." one of the guards answered and they led them through the great hallways as the dragon slayers continued struggling. Then they suddenly stopped; the dragon slayers then noticed that they were now in front of two large double doors. The edges were solid gold, it was painted black, red and purple and it was carved so well. Natsu could make out a few creatures like a Minotaur, three-headed wolves, and something that looked like an eagle but had the body of a lion carved on it. But what was really noticeable was the large dragon, painted black and dark blue on top of the double doors. It awfully reminded the Fairy Tail mages of Acnologia.

Then suddenly, they were harshly pushed through the large double doors and into the room. They landed on the cold hard floor with a thump, making them all groan in pain.

"Dammit." Gajeel cursed.

"Oi, we have a minor with us, you know. Stop cursing." Rogue said, glancing at Wendy.

"Shut up." he said.

Then they suddenly heard someone snap their fingers and then both the rope and cuffs removed themselves from them. Their eyes widened and they were frozen in place. They did nothing but stare at the ropes and cuffs in confusion.

"My, my, it's nice of you to come and join us here." They whipped their heads around. Laxus and Natsu's eyes widened and they growled at the man in front of them.

There, sitting in a large throne made of gold and decorated by rubies, was the one and only prince and soon-to-be king of Visna, Prince Hidenori.

Natsu and Laxus were growling at him for two different reasons; Natsu was very pissed at the guy because he recognized him. He was the bastard they fought back at that time when Magnolia was attacked. He almost caused Lisanna to fall off a cliff and die, and he also made Lucy suffer and practically killed her! Natsu thank the stars that his mate had been resurrected. But that didn't lessen the anger he had for the man. You wouldn't believe how much the fire mage wanted to tear this guy to shreds.

Laxus, on the other hand, also recognized him. Although he wasn't as mad as Natsu, he was still pissed at the guy. He didn't really have a good reason for it. But then again, Fairy Tail mages beat up a lot of people without having a really good reason why. He just had a score to settle with Hidenori and that was it.

"Well then, now that you're all here, we can start the ceremony." Hidenori said with a sly smile.

"Where's Lucy?" Natsu asked, shocking the others.

"Natsu-san, what are you talking about?" Wendy asked.

"Bunny-girl's not here, she's not with us anymore." Gajeel reminded him.

"Shut up." he said with pure venom in his voice, making them freeze.

"Do you think . . ." Sting asked.

"Yeah, I think he's about to go berserk." Rogue said.

"This can't be good." Laxus muttered.

Meanwhile, Hidenori just remained silent, but then chuckled. "Who?"

"Don't be stupid! I know she's here!" Natsu yelled.

"Natsu-san!" Wendy cried.

"Back off, squirt." Gajeel warned her. "It's better if we don't get involved in this."

"But . . ."

"Where is she?" Natsu asked once again, flames started surrounding him.

"Honestly, I have no idea what you're talking about." Hidenori simply replied, not at all affected by the fact that the dragon slayer was now covered in large, raging flames.

Finally, Natsu snapped. He couldn't take it anymore and just charged towards Hidenori and prepared a Fire Dragon's Iron Fist. "WHERE IS SHE?" he yelled.

"Natsu-san!" Wendy cried.

"You idiot." Laxus scoffed, he already knew of Hidenori's strength and was sure that Natsu didn't stand a chance. The idiot was doomed.

Meanwhile, Hidenori remained calm and watched Natsu charged towards him, not looking like he was going to anything about it.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" he yelled, aiming the punch at the man's face. His attack was more than five times stronger than normal, mostly because of his rage. His fist was bout to make contact with Hidenori's face and still the prince didn't do anything.

_Clank!_

Natsu's eyes widened in shock and he stood there frozen. His flames soon died down and he was just staring at the person in front of him. The other dragon slayers had the same reaction; pure and utter shock. Hidenori still had that sly smile in his face, as he stared at the two people in front of him.

There, in front of Natsu, was the person who blocked his attack. Long blonde hair with a scythe in her hands which she used to block Natsu's attack.

There stood the person he's been longing for. The person he's been looking for.

"Lucy."

* * *

**Again, I am SO sorry for the late update. Anyway, this story's about to get to the good part so I guess I'll make it up to you by posting the next chapter as soon as possible. But I might have a hard time. We still have practices and our exams are also coming. But I promise that I'll try my best! Wish me luck guys!**

**Well, you know, I feel more inspired to write and I get more ideas whenever you guys review, tell me what you think, and give me YOUR ideas. **

**So, Please review ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**


	20. Join Us

**Here it is! Chapter 20 which has exactly 3,451 words, not including A/N! **

**But I would like to say a few things before we start;**

**First of all, I would like to thank you all for forgiving me! TT_TT You guys are the best. I promise that I won't disappear like that again! Thank you all!**

**Secondly, I would like to thank you for all of the nice reviews I've had lately. Arigatou ne~! I mean, seriously. I did not expect this fic to be my most popular one. It just started off as some idea that popped into my head while I was trying to sleep one night. Anyways, thank you!**

**Thirdly, can someone please tell me what a Betareader is? I'm sorry, I'm still not used to the way this site works. Is that necessary? Do I need one? And if so, how do I get one? I would be very grateful if one of you were to answer my questions. Arigatou ~ !**

**And lastly, I feel like there's nothing good about this chapter. So I'm sorry about that. It was supposed to be longer but I then I wouldn't know when to stop this chapter and I might leave you guys in a major cliff hanger. So sorry about that. But don't worry, I'll make it up to you guys!**

**Well, on with the story, then!**

* * *

Natsu stared at the blonde beauty in front of him in shock. The others behind him were also completely frozen, why wouldn't they? An old friend whom they had thought to be dead was right in front of them right now. There was no doubt it was her, although there were a few visible changes. Her eyes were bloody red instead of chocolate brown and her blonde hair reached her waist, and she was also wearing a black frilly dress that reached her knees and black combat boots. But even though, there was no doubt that this woman was Lucy.

"Lucy . . ." Natsu whispered. Meanwhile, the others were very confused.

"Lucy-san . . ?" Wendy asked as tears formed in the corner of her eyes. She felt a mixture of shock, confusion, and great happiness. Right now, the little girl wanted nothing more than to run to the blonde mage, hug her tightly and sob as she tells her how much she missed her.

"Bunny-girl . . ?" Gajeel stared at her in shock.

"So she was alive . . ." Laxus muttered.

"Who would've thought?" Sting asked as Rogue merely nodded. Silence filled the air as the group continues to stare at the blonde beauty in front of them, and she stared back, emotionless.

"Oh, I see . . ." Hidenori said with a sly smile. "So this is the girl you meant."

He finally stood up and walked next to Lucy. Then he placed a hand on top of her head and made her lean her head on his chest, Lucy didn't try to do anything about it and just continued to stare at them with her now lifeless and dull eyes. Natsu, on the other hand, didn't like it one bit. He growled at Hidenori.

"_Hands off_." he hissed dangerously, venom filled his voice as he glared at the man. But Hidenori only scoffed at the boy.

"Or what?" he asked, smirking. Natsu felt his anger grew and flames started to surround him once again.

"I think I'm allowed to touch my future wife however I please." he added and they all froze in shock. Their eyes widened in disbelief.

"That's right. This little beauty is my fiancee." he said with a sly smile. "Honestly, why do you think I brought her here?"

Lucy remained silent and didn't respond to any of it. The dragon slayers were just frozen in shock.

"Don't screw around!" Natsu yelled in anger.

"But I'm not." Hidenori simply stated, as Natsu continued to glare at the prince. "In fact, our wedding ceremony is tonight. But don't worry, you're all invited. Although you'd be executed soon after that."

While they were talking, the others just expressed their shock.

"What the hell . . ?" Gajeel asked. This guy . . . What he's saying . . . It can't be true, right?

"What's going on?" Laxus asked.

"This just doesn't make any sense." Sting shook his head, Rogue only nodded.

"Lucy-san . . ." Wendy muttered.

"Damn, this is going to be a big problem." Sting said.

"Yeah, if this keeps up, Salamander's dragon instincts would take over and it'll definitely be chaos." Gajeel said.

"A dragon is very possessive of what is his." Laxus stated what he knows about dragons and their mates. "He'll destroy anyone and anything that gets in between him and his mate."

And he was right.

Soon, Natsu was unable to control his anger any further and he finally snapped. He ran to tackle the man, his flames still surrounding every inch of his body. The others looked at him, horrified even though they were practically expecting it. But they didn't expect him to attack with his body covered in flames.

"You idiot! Stop!" Gajeel yelled.

"If that girl really is Lucy, then . . ." Laxus muttered.

"Natsu-san! Lucy-san will get hurt!" Wendy cried, but it was as if the fire mage couldn't hear them through all his anger. He let out a battle roar and aimed another attack at Hidenori, forgetting the fact that Lucy was even there. The prince, as calm as ever, just stared at Natsu and remained smirking.

Then suddenly, before Natsu could come close to the two, his fire was extinguished and someone threw a punch to his stomach, sending him slamming to the double doors.

"Natsu-san!" Wendy cried, running after him. The others, meanwhile, knew that the idiot was alright and focused their attention to their opponents. There stood, next to the prince and Lucy, were two people. One male, and the other was female. They were confused, but immediately got into a battle stance, since those two were obviously their enemies. Wendy was also staring at them in both fear and confusion, but she was kneeling by Natsu's side, who was rubbing his aching head.

After recovering from the impact, Natsu saw the two and then growled at the man. He knew him all too well. And he just couldn't wait to beat the living shit out of the guy. It was the man who practically took his mate away from him when they had just been reunited. And he may never forgive him for doing that. He didn't know why Lucy came with him, but he didn't really care right now. He just glared at him, as he felt his body heat up and his flames threatening to explode.

"Kazuki . . ." he hissed.

"I didn't think I'll be able to see you again, bastard." Kazuki said, a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek.

'_Damn, this guy again. . ._' Kazuki thought. He meant what he said; he really didn't expect to be able to see this guy again. They had thought that the prince was just going to have this guy killed and then their country would be immune to the eclipse. Afterwards, they'll be free from this curse, take over Fiore, and then things would go back to the way they used to be. When it was just the seven of them, only they would be following and protecting the prince now, who would soon be the king. And they'd also be protecting the soon-to-be queen, Lucy. They thought that things would just get a bit better, they'd get stronger and more powerful, and after that . . . things would just go back to normal. Back to when the SSS would just be together and hang out, sometimes arguing. Back to when they showed no weakness and care about nobody, and mercilessly hurt everyone they fight.

Back to before they ever met Adora . . . Before they met Lucy.

Kazuki stole a glance at Addei, who was the one who punched Natsu in the stomach after he extinguished the fire mage's flames with his magic. He could see that she also felt a bit uncomfortable, and he knew why. It was completely understandable.

What they did a few days ago, that dream they set up for Natsu and Lucy, only the seven of them knew it. And they needed to make sure it stays that way. But now they'll have trouble keeping their little secret now that they'll have to face Pinky and fight him in front of the prince. Addei's not a problem, but Kazuki was the one who confronted Natsu that time and took Lucy away from him. Not to mention it was their second meeting and this would already be their third. It was obvious that Natsu would have recognized him, but a part of him still had hoped that the idiot would forget. Unfortunately, he did, it was confirmed when Natsu hissed his name with pure anger and such killing intent. Looks like he was pissed.

Kazuki resisted the urge to scoff. Him, of all people, had the right to be angry? Why? He was the one who hurt Lucy. And basing on all of Adora's stories of him, he was practically the reason why she was here. It was all his fault that Lucy suffered through so much. Did the idiot even know that?

Kazuki shook the thoughts off and decided to focus on the current situation. He can do nothing but hope that Pinky won't bring it up, because if he did then they'll be in really deep shit. The Prince would probably punish them and have them executed if they found out.

Oh, just why couldn't the guy have just ordered the idiot to be executed or killed as a human sacrifice or something, Kazuki was sure as hell that the guy would have deserved it.

"Well, it seems that you're friend over there isn't so bright. Always act first and think later, huh? How foolish." Hidenori commented, most likely saying it to Laxus who was still in his battle stance, glaring at him. Meanwhile, Hidenori still had Lucy's head resting on his chest and his hand still on top of it. And Lucy still stared at them with her dull eyes and emotionless expression.

Laxus expression grew more serious. What was wrong with this girl? Wasn't she the real Lucy? Well, she had to be. Natsu was sure of it, and a dragon never mistakes his mate for another. But if that's so, then why is the girl acting this way? She just protected the damn bastard right next to her a moment ago, other than that; she's letting him touch her in a rather affectionate way.

Then something clicked in his mind. Didn't that Hibiki guy say something about being controlled and hypnotism or something? Yeah, it was after he, Erza, and Gray got back from sneaking around the palace. They mentioned about some butler who was being controlled. Does that mean that Lucy was in the same condition? Laxus body stiffened. Then that would explain the whole wedding thing. It was all happening against her will.

Damn, this is going to be trouble, but for now he might as well try to get some information out of this guy while punches still aren't being thrown.

"What do you want from us?" he asked, the others were a bit surprised at the sudden question, but they still remained focus and didn't let their guard down, just in case. Meanwhile, Hidenori had a sly grin.

"What makes you think I need something from you?" he asked, curiously.

"Well, for one thing you didn't order us to be killed and you also removed our cuffs, making us able to use magic and fight you." the lightning mage simply stated. "There's no way you'd do any of that without a good reason."

Hidenori chuckled. "Well done. You are correct, I do need a small favor from you." he said.

"Well then, spit it out! We don't have all day." he scoffed.

Hidenori smirked before looking at Addei, the woman immediately noticed this and also knew what it meant. She got off of her battle stance and looked at the dragon slayers with a confident expression.

"Join us." she said.

Silence.

"What . . ?" they asked dumbfounded.

"We are asking you, right here, right now, to join us." Addei said once again, Kazuki scoffed at this and also got off his fighting stance to glare at them with his arms crossed.

"Wha-what . . ? Why the hell . . ?" Sting asked, completely shocked and confused like the others. What the hell was going on? Were these guys _actually_ asking them to become their allies? Why the hell would they do that? Hadn't they tried to kill them the last time they met?

"As you know, our country is cursed and one of the side effects is the one caused by the eclipse that will happen tonight." Kazuki explained. "In order to lift the curse we'll need three mages; one that has the blood of the royal family, a celestial mage; and a dragon slayer."

"A celestial mage . . ." Wendy said glancing at Lucy, she was now standing next to Addei and not leaning on the prince's shoulder, much to Natsu's relief.

"Yes, to lift the spell, we need to combine the powers of the prince and a celestial mage. That is the purpose of the Prince's wedding with Ad- Lucy-sama" Addei explained, and at the mention of the marriage, Natsu scowled.

'_So you're just using her for power, huh?_' Natsu thought. '_No way am I going to let that happen._'

"And we would also need a living sacrifice, and the kind of mage we need for that is a dragon slayer." he continued on, and at this, they became more wary of them. Their bodies stiffened and they became more alert of their surroundings.

"Relax, we only need one of you to be our sacrifice." Addei said. "But since there are so many of you, maybe we won't need to kill anyone for the sacrifice in the ceremony. If you all combine your powers, it'll be enough to help us with the ceremony."

"What are you saying?" Laxus asked.

"I'm saying that you have two choices; it's either you join us and you'll be given great power. If you help us lift our country from this curse, you'll have the honor of fighting alongside us and your every wish will be granted." Addei explained, but soon her expression darkened. "Or you could decline the offer and we'll just have you all executed, with one of you being our sacrifice. So, what's it going to be?"

"I would be very grateful if you accept, however." Hidenori said, going back to his throne. "Although, I don't mind if you decline either. Whatever your choice is, the ceremony will still go on and I'll still win."

"If you accept, then everybody wins. Everybody's going home happy." Kazuki said.

"You may all become servants for his majesty, and in return, you will have everything you want granted to you. You want power? Money? We can give it all to you!" Addei said. "All we ask is for you to pledge your undying loyalty to us. Become a part of Visna!"

"Well then, what's it going to be? Do you want to live or do you want to die?" Hidenori asked.

There was a silence.

"We don't want to die." Laxus finally said, shocking the others.

"Really . . ? That's good, then." he said, but all of his satisfaction disappeared once the lightning mage continued on.

"But we're not going to join you either." he said.

"Hell yeah!" Gajeel said. "No way in hell's that going to happen!"

"If we want to live without needing to join you, all we need to do is beat you, right?" Sting said. "Like they said, if you can't join them, beat them!"

"It's the other way around." Rogue said. "But I must agree with you, for once."

"That's right, and then we'll go home and take Lucy-san with us!" Wendy added.

"Yeah, prepare to get your butts kicked!" Natsu yelled. "I'm all fired up."

Hidenori was silent for a moment as he watched and listened to them. For a moment, he was emotionless and had an unreadable expression. That is, until he finally smirked at them.

"Well, if that's your choice then so be it." he said. "Honestly, you're just like this girl."

Hidenori pointed at Lucy. "I was prepared to give her anything she wanted. Whether it was money, fame, or power, I could have given it to her. And all she had to do was to pledge her loyalty to me and marry me, and yet she declined."

Natsu scowled.

"Who would've thought that you'd be the cause of her accepting my proposal." he continued, making them freeze. Addei and Kazuki, on the other hand, remained silent as they felt a stab of pain in their hearts.

"What . . ?" Natsu asked.

"A few days ago, she said that she'll agree to be my bride in exchange for setting you free. That's why I gave you an offer in the first place." he sighed. "Oh well, I suppose I can make an exception from you."

"Lucy . . . she . . ." Natsu muttered. The others just stared at him and remained silent.

Hidenori snapped his fingers. "Kill them."

And so, Addei immediately summoned all of her elements while Kazuki prepared to launch an attack. Lucy was now standing next to Hidenori as he sat on his throne, smirking.

"O-oi, it's 6 against 2. You guys are outnumbered, you know. So you don't stand a chance." Gajeel said.

"Oh really, then how about we even it up?" the cocky prince said and he snapped his fingers. Then, out of nowhere, the rest of the SSS appeared, ready to fight. Mia had already summoned all of her coins and made them form into a body like when she fought Yukino, Hyosuke had bat wings sticking out of his back and sharp claws and teeth, Aeschylus was as gloomy as always while Artemis seem to be grinning maniacally at them, and Galan and Kiyomi stared at them but inwardly started to gather up all of their magical power.

"There, now the battle would be even." Hidenori smirked.

"Wow, thanks a lot, Metal head." Laxus said sarcastically, Gajeel just scowled at him.

"How the hell is this even?" Sting muttered under his breath as Rogue could only nod.

"It seems that now, we're the ones who're outnumbered." the shadow dragon slayer said.

"Well, we gave you a chance." Mia said.

"You expect us to become allies with jerks like you? No way!" Sting said, making a vein pop at Mia's forehead.

"What did you say?" she yelled, charging towards the light dragon slayer. But Sting just sent her a Light Dragon's Roar which hit Mia straight to her abdomen, sending her tumbling back. Her coin body also disappeared when she was hit.

"Don't get cocky! You were only able to beat me that one time because you caught me off guard!" Sting said.

"Tch." Mia said getting back up. But then, Kiyomi stepped in front of her and sent an attack towards Sting. Through the years she's been a member of the SSS, hypnotism isn't the only magic she had learned. She also developed wind magic as well.

"Storm Shred!" she yelled and sent wind blades at them; but before it can hit any of them, Wendy took a very deep breath and ate the wind blades.

"Good job, squirt!" Gajeel said, attacking Galan with an iron dragon's club then trying to hit Aeschylus.

Soon, all of the dragon slayers were joining in on the fight, attacks were sent at each other. Once in a while, you'll be able to hear one of the dragon slayer's roar resounding through the hallways.

The dragon slayers and the SSS were evenly matched, or so it seems. None of the SSS were actually going all-out. They didn't really want to hurt these guys. They knew that they've caused enough damage. The entire SSS felt very guilty of what they did to Lucy. They really cared for her, and it was obvious. All they had wanted was for her to be happy. And they knew that Lucy would never want any of her friends hurt. Although they don't have a choice, they were trying to at least go easy on them.

Hidenori just watched them with a bored expression; he didn't really have any intention of joining in the fight. But even if he did, the battle would surely have already been over before it even started.

He sighed, although he would've really enjoyed it if he had a dragon slayer for a body guard. Sure, there was Hyosuke who can turn into a dragon, but it just wasn't the same. He just knew it would be very interesting if he had one, plus it would be an advantage for the war with Fiore.

He sighed. Why did these people have to be so stubborn and foolish? They could have had a chance to live, and yet they chose to die. Even more foolish is that they thought they could actually defeat him. What a hopeless and foolish bunch. Although they were strong, not only are they able to keep up with the SSS, but he also recalled two of them being able to defeat a member. This definitely earned them his respect.

It's too bad they have to die.

* * *

**And here's the end of Chapter 20! Please be patient on waiting for the next one. I'm incredible busy after all, and I won't be able to work on the next chapter this weekend either, because my bro will be visiting home from college and he'll just use my laptop leaving me to just spend my day listening to music. So I guess I'll be posting the next one at around Wednesday next week. Well, I promise it won't take until Friday at least. **

**But don't worry! I promise you that the wait will all be worth it! And if you want to blame anyone for my late updates, please blame my brother for hogging my laptop and my teachers who always gives us homework everyday. ^_^**

**Anyway, Please review ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**


	21. Natsu's woman

**Woohoo! Chapter 21 got posted earlier than expected! Well, you see, things didn't really go as planned. I had some time to kill and since my bro isn't back home from college to hog my laptop yet and I also didn't have much homework, I decided to get started with the next chapter right away. And soon, it ended up with me finishing a whole chapter. So you guys got a new chapter right away! You're welcome!**

**But sorry, I said that this chapter was going to be a bit fun and exciting, but I'm afraid that all that will be delayed. But don't worry, the next chapter is going to be exciting and I'll even add a lot of NaLu into it! So it'll be worth the wait. And this time, I'm sure that the next update will be Wednesday, just like what I said in the last chapter.**

**This chapter is 3737 words!**

**So anyways, on with the story!**

* * *

The current status between the SSS and the dragon slayers;

Hyosuke vs Laxus.

Galan vs Gajeel.

Kiyomi vs Wendy.

Mia, Addei and Aeschylus vs Sting and Rogue.

Kazuki vs Natsu.

Things are heating up, and they're all now having a very hard time keeping up with their opponent.

* * *

Hosuke was sent back by Laxus' Lightning Dragon's Roar. He groaned in pain as he looked back up to the lightning mage. He was going to have a hard time. He couldn't even beat this guy when he was going all out. What was he going to do now that he was trying to hold back?

"Damn." Hyosuke muttered as he started charging at Laxus once again and tried to scratch him with his incredibly sharp calws. But Laxus just turned into lightning and dodged the attack.

'_What's going on?_' Laxus wondered, watching his opponents' movements. '_He's holding back?_'

Hyosuke kept on throwing punches and kicks at Laxus, once even trying to hit him with his tail that was covered in spikes. And the lightning mage noticed that Hyosuke wasn't even trying to transform into some other beast. Although he did look like he wanted to kill him right now, his actions said otherwise.

'_It's like he doesn't even want to hurt me, despite knowing that I beat him once already._' the S-class mage thought as he managed to hit his opponent with his lightning. '_But this could also mean that he's planning something, so I can't keep my guard down_.'

Laxus punched Hyosuke in the stomach, making the latter slam his body to the wall. The SSS mage coughed as he tried to get up once again.

'_But even if that's the case, what could he possibly be planning? He's going to get beaten to a pulp if he keeps this up._' Laxus remained in a fighting stance, but managed to steal a glance at the others before looking back at Hyosuke. '_His friends already have their hands full, so they can't help him._'

Laxus stole another glance at Hidenori and Lucy. '_And if those two had any intention of fighting in the first place, they would've joined the fight just when it started._'

Hyosuke growled before flying high up into the air with his bat-like wings. Then, in full speed, charged towards Laxus.

'_What the hell is this guy planning?_' the lightning mage wondered before he generated his lightning into his arm and threw a punch at Hyosuke just when he was about to hit him.

* * *

"What the hell?" Gajeel yelled as he was now wrapped and being crushed by the carpet.

"My power is to be able to control the things around me, or in other words, telekinesis." Galan explained. "There wasn't much to use at the hallways the last time we fought, so I just used my clothes. Their elastic, so it was easy for me to use them to attack you. But now, there are a lot of things here that I can use as weapons."

Galan then used his magic to lift a table, a vase, and a chair up into the air and sent them to Gajeel.

But the Iron Dragon slayer just acted fast and turned his arm into a sword to tear the carpet to shreds and set him free. Then he transformed it into a club and destroyed everything that was sent to him.

"Don't look down on me! No way am I losing to the same guy twice!" Gaheel yelled and sent an Iron Dragon's Roar, which Galan simply dodged from.

Menwhile, Galan was deep in thought.

'_What am I going to do?_' Galan wondered. '_I could finish this guy off easily, but . . ._'

He used his elastic sleeve to block Gajeel's attacks.

'_We agreed to hold back on them, but in the end we'll still have to beat them, right? So why not just now?_' he wondered. '_Are we hoping that they'll be able to beat us? But then, wouldn't the prince get suspicious or something?_'

Suddenly, Gajeel caught him off guard and sent him tumbling a few feet away. This made Gajeel smirk and do his spine-tingling laugh.

Meanwhile, Galan was motionless. He just lay at the ground, face down, not moving a muscle. Gajeel cocked an eyebrow at him, there was only one thing in his mind right now; '_Did I win?_' he wondered. The prince had also noticed Galan and looked at him curiously. He knew the SSS mage very well, and he knows that Galan wouldn't just get knocked out by a simple punch in the face.

"Oi, Galan!" Hidenori called out.

"Mm!" Galan said, he was trying to say something, but his voice was muffled since he was lying face down. Gajeel sweat dropped at this.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Mmfgh hrngh mmmph."

"I can't hear you, Galan. Speak up." Hidenori said, getting annoyed. Finally, Galan lifted his arms to his sides and pushed his body up and into a sitting position. Gajeel got into his fighting stance and prepared himself, just in case Galan would suddenly attack.

"I said it's annoying how they just won't give up." he complained. "If they just accepted your offer then we all would've been happy. But they just _had_ to decline."

Hidenori and Gajeel cocked an eyebrow at him, where was he getting at?

"If only the accepted your offer, then I would just be laying down right now with some peace and quiet and go to sleep." Galan continued.

After hearing his explanation, Gajeel looked at him with a 'WTF' look while Hidenori just face palmed.

'_I knew it was a bad idea to have a bodyguard that represents Sloth._' he thought.

"Stop complaining and defeat your opponent." he ordered, making Galan sigh.

"Okay." he muttered before getting up. He then charged towards Gajeel with full speed and an intent to kill. He was a about to get serious. But only a bit, of course. He still can't kill the guy, after all.

* * *

Kiyomi glared at her opponent as she forced herself not to cry out in frustration. She was starting to get really pissed. They had been fighting for a while now, and she still hasn't laid even a scratch at the kid. How could that be possible? She was a member of the Seven Sinful Souls! She was one of the kings upper class body guards! She was part of a group who was feared and made people cower in fear at the very name of it! And yet she can't even hurt this little brat! This was so embarrassing! She resisted the urge to yell out in frustration and run, whining, to Hyosuke's side, since she knew that he was busy.

Wendy, on the other hand, was very determined to win this fight so she can be of some help to the others. She knew she had to win so she can save Lucy, then everyone in the guild would be happy again! Especially Natsu. But her happy thoughts were cut off when she heard her opponent yell out in frustration

"Oh, why couldn't I have been paired up with a guy!" Kiyomi complained out loud.

"Eh?" Wendy asked, clearly confused.

"If only you were a guy!" Kiyomi said, trying to make it clearer for the young girl.

"B-but why . . ?"

"If you were, then I could've just hypnotized you and make you fight against your friends!" she explained.

"Oh . . ."

"But I can't hypnotize girls, only guys!"

" . . . I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize!" Kiyomi yelled, annoyed.

"I'm sorry!" At this, Kiyomi felt a vein pop on her head.

But the problem wasn't just the fact that her opponent was a girl and she couldn't just hypnotize her right now, it was also the fact that her opponent was a Sky Dragon slayer. That means she can eat wind and get stronger because of it, making Kiyomi's wind magic useless in this battle. Other than that, the only spells she knew were only defensive ones. So now, all she could do was to wait for the little brat to run of magical power, which isn't going so well, since Wendy would usually wait for Kiyomi to attack first before sending her own.

Just her luck.

Kiyomi tried to use hand-to-hand combat. But this only caused her to get hurt because Wendy would just send her an attack before she could even get close. And despite her speed, Kiyomi wasn't able to dodge those attacks, nor did she even have the time to create a spell to block them.

This was going to be tough.

* * *

Mia was sent tumbling back a few feet because of Sting's attack. She got up and rubbed her aching head.

"Ow." she muttered.

"Are you alright, Mia?" Aeschylus asked her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." she said, and then she realized something and started glaring at Aeschylus. "Hey! Why don't you help us out! You've been standing there and just watching us fight for some time now!"

Aeschylus was sent back in shock at her sudden outburst. It was true, although her tried to use hand-to-hand combat against them at first, he suddenly stopped and then just started to watch them fight.

"I can't help it." he said, looking at Artemis who looked back at him. "My magic relies solely on Artemis."

"So? Why doesn't he fight then?" she asked.

"That's madness! Madness, I tell ya!" Artemis yelled, but of course Mia didn't hear her. And instead of just saying what his shadow said, Aeschylus decided to just explain.

"Light magic is Artemis' weakness, so he's useless against the White Dragon slayer. And the other one is a Shadow Dragon slayer, which means he eats shadows. I can't let him eat Artemis." Mia sighed.

"Okay, I understand." she muttered.

"_Hey! Why don't you idiots stop talking and help li'l miss perfest over there!_" Artemis said, pointing at Addei. The two best friends looked at where the shadow was pointing and they found Addei already having a hard time fighting the two dragon slayers who seem to have the advantage in this battle. Then, before Mia or Aeschylus could move from their spot, Sting was suddenly able to hit Addei with his White Dragon's Roar.

"Gah!" Addei yelled in pain as her body slammed into the floor.

"Addei!" Mia called out. There was a silence and Rogue decided not to waste any time.

"_Shit._" Artemis muttered.

"Shadow Dragon's Roar!" he yelled, and the attack was heading straight towards Addei who seemed to weak to even move.

Mia's eyes widened in horror.

"Addie-chan!" she yelled. The attack was about to make impact with Addei's body when the woman suddenly lifted her hand up a bit and slammed it into a floor, making a magic circle. Then a giant rock appeared in front of her, blocking Rogue's attack.

Mia stared at her in shock and then smiled in relief. Addei forced herself to stand up, which she managed to do and looked at the blonde.

"I told you not to call me that." she said. "And besides, I can handle this."

"As expected of Addei-sama." Aeschylus said, making Artemis sweat drop.

"_Don't add '-sama' to her name._" she told him.

"But she said to add an honorific to her na-"

"_Just don't, okay!_"

Mia could only smile at Addei before facing towards their two opponents.

"Shit just got serious!" she yelled.

* * *

"Fire Dragon's Flame Elbow!" Natsu yelled as he sent another punch towards Kazuki who just extinguished the flame.

"Cooling chills!" he yelled, and suddenly, Natsu's body was covered in a thin layer of ice, but he just covered his body in flames and melted it.

"That won't work on me!"

"Then maybe this will!" Natsu then noticed that he was surrounding by some kind of green mist. It reeked so much that he covered his nose, then he started to cough and feel weakened.

"Poisonous oxygen." Kazuki said, naming the attack. Natsu was hit with realization and so he jumped away from the mist.

"Air is everywhere, you know." Kazuki said, then the green mist started to follow Natsu. "You can't run away from it."

Natsu continued to cough as he tried to avoid Kazuki's deadly air, which just kept following him. So he decided to change tactics and run towards Kazuki. Before the man could react, Natsu punched him in the face making him lose concentration and so the green mist disappeared.

Natsu coughed and tried to catch his breath at the same time while Kazuki tried to get up. They started to glare at each other and were obviously sending each other a single message;

_I'll kill you._

Of course, Kazuki had no intention of killing Natsu, but the fire mage didn't have to know that. Plus, the guy was seriously showing pure killing intent that it's even starting to scare him. And he was sure that if he held back, he'd definitely get killed.

Natsu, on the other hand, just wanted to beat the living shit out of Kazuki for taking Lucy away from him. He wanted to show him the consequences for messing with a dragon. And then he can get this over with so he can go and save Lucy from that bastard. He already knew that she was being controlled. It was the only explanation on how she was acting after all. He just wanted to go over there right now and beat that bastard up until he tells him how to get her to go back to normal. But he can't do that with Kazuki in the way.

Natsu growled at his opponent.

'_You can't keep a dragon away from his mate._' he thought as he engulfed his fist in flames.

'_Oh God, what have I gotten myself into?_' Kazuki thought.

* * *

Hidenori just watched as his body guards fought the dragon slayers. In his mind was still the thought of having a dragon slayer for a body guard. But they had already made their choice. And if they wanted to die, then that definitely wasn't his problem. But if only there was a chance to change their minds.

His eyes wandered and landed on Natsu.

'_Wasn't that the lad who was looking for my wife?_' he wondered before smirking. Now he finally remembered, he was the reason his future wife was crying when he had found him. That's right, he was the reason why Lucy thought of such evil things and made Hidenori choose her as his wife.

The prince smirked. '_Now there's an idea._' he thought before casting his _wife_ a very special spell.

* * *

Natsu was sent back because of Kazuki's punch. But he immediately regained his composure once again and continued to glare at the man.

"Bastard." he scoffed.

"Well, aren't you being such a hypocrite." Kazuki simply said as they both started to catch their breathe.

Silence.

Kazuki then noticed something which made his eyes widened in shock. Natsu just stared at him, wondering what's wrong with the guy. Then he felt someone wrap her arms around his waist.

He quickly turned around only to be confronted by his mate.

"L-Lucy!" Natsu's eyes widened in shock, meanwhile the blonde just wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her.

"Natsu . . ." she said. But Natsu saw that her eyes were still dull, lifeless and red, well how could he not. And that meant that she was still under the prince's control.

"I see . . . so this is _your_ woman." Hidenori said, suddenly appearing. "No wonder you were angry when you found out that we were getting married."

Natsu felt his anger rise.

"Bastard." he scoffed but he was stopped by Lucy who pulled him back into her embrace.

"Don't worry, Natsu . . . It's just a ceremony." she told him in a soft voice. "No matter what happens, my heart will only belong to you . . ."

"L-Lucy . . . a-are you alright . . ?" Natsu asked. She was acting so weird right now. Meanwhile, Kazuki was confused as hell.

'_O-oi . . . what's going on . . ?_' he wondered.

"Well, in any case, you can have her." Hidenori said, shocking both Natsu and Kazuki.

"Wh-what . . ?" the fire mage asked.

"I only needed a celestial mage's power, but I never needed to marry her." Hidenori explained. "Father has been annoying me with all these questions about marriage, so I just thought that I'd kill two birds with one stone with this girl. Marriage was completely unnecessary."

Of course, we all know that the Prince Hidenori was lying. But he knew that if the fire mage fell for it, he'd just have him controlled like Sebastian and Lucy. Then everything will be alright.

"I'm giving you a chance here, you know." he said. "I'm giving you a chance not only to live, but also to get stronger. I can double your magic power if you allow me to. Not only that, but you'll also be able to be with your one true love once again, only this time, you'll never part. The only reason you didn't accept my offer earlier is because you couldn't stand the thought of your woman marrying another man, correct?"

Natsu was silent as he looked at the ground, patiently listening to him. He couldn't bear to look at anyone right now. So he just listened to him and processed his words. Strangely, the others still hadn't noticed what was occurring between them right now.

"Why don't you join me now and help me rule over Fiore. I know that you also wish for power to protect the ones you love, unlike that time when you let your woman die right in front of you."

Natsu started trembling at the memory of that incident. He then noticed that Lucy had wrapped her arms around his waist from his back and was now embracing him tightly.

"Do you want your woman back? Do you want power? I can give it all to you! All I ask is that you pledge your loyalty to me. Join me." Hidenori said.

Kazuki felt a bead of sweat run down his cheek. Inwardly, he was wishing that the fire mage wouldn't accept the offer. He knew that if the guy accepted, there would be grave consequences. Natsu was being tricked, but Kazuki didn't have the courage to speak up and tell him that because he knew that the prince will definitely have him executed for it.

There was a silence as Natsu thought about it for a moment.

"But you'll still need a sacrifice, right?" Natsu asked. "You still need one for this ceremony you're going to do, right?"

Hidenori blinked at the sudden question. "Why, of course, but you don't need to worry about that. Since your friends were foolish enough to decline, it can't be helped, correct? You, however, are lucky that I gave you a second chance."

There was nothing but silence between them as Natsu thought some more.

"No." he muttered.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I said no." Natsu said glaring at Hidenori. "They're my friends. And if I join you, that means I'll be letting them die right? And no way in hell's that going to happen!"

He scowled. "None of them deserve to die, and none of them will. We already said it before, didn't we? We're all going to live through this, and we're going to do that by kicking your ass! That's what we're here for, after all! We came here with a mission, and I'm not going to rest until we finish it! And then afterwards we're going to go home, safe and sound, with you as just another tough bastard we already defeated."

He clenched his fists as his eyes wandered to Lucy. She was still embracing him tightly, and he'll be lying if he said that he didn't enjoy it. The feel of her body pressed tightly against his. The feel of her warm body and how tightly she held onto to him, reminding him that she was alive and well. But it was against her will, and Natsu didn't want that.

"Every single one of us is going to make it back home, along with Lucy." he said, looking at Hidenori, his eyes filled with determination.

Kazuki felt his eyes widened in shock. But his expression soon softened and he couldn't help but smile at what he had said. '_Maybe you're not so bad, Pinky._' he thought.

Hidenori stared at him for a moment before sighing. "Well, if that's your choice then . . ." he walked back to his throne.

"Oi, bastard!" Natsu called after him, and the prince turned around with a confused expression. "Do you mind lifting whatever spell you put in Lucy? 'cause she's starting to creep me out."

Natsu stared at Lucy who was currently hugging him and burying her nose into his chest. He felt completely uncomfortable.

Hidenori cocked an eyebrow. "What in the world could you be talking about, I wonder."

"Oi! Don't play dumb with me!" he said, annoyed. "Lucy wouldn't just act like this!"

"_Lucy_ is simply behaving just as who she truly is." he explained. "You see, despite seeming so sweet, loving, kind and selfless, she is not immune to the Seven Deadly Sins."

"The Seven Deadly Sins . . ." Natsu repeated, obviously confused.

"Like everyone else, she, too, has her inner demon and I am simply letting it all out." Hidenori continued. "Pride, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and, of course, _Lust_."

Natsu noticed that Lucy's grip around his waist tightened when Hidenori said the last part.

"Lust . . ?" he asked, then Lucy's grip around him loosened. But he didn't notice that she had left his side.

"Yes, she truly has a lot of feelings she's hiding from you." the prince said.

'_I do_ not_ like where this is going._' Kazuki thought.

"Perhaps you would like to see another side of her?" he suggested. "Oh, come come, of course you would."

Natsu started to feel incredibly uncomfortable.

"Have you ever wondered what she's like when she's really . . . _angry_?"

Then, from out of nowhere, someone had grabbed his neck and practically started strangling him. His eyes widened in shock as he saw who it was.

"L-Lucy . . ?"

* * *

**I hope you guys enjoyed it!**

**What's going on with Lucy you ask? Then please wait for a while!**

**A little bit about this story;**

**1. I make sure that every chapter consists of at least 3000 words!**

**2. This story was inspired by the comic; Grim Tales from Down Below, but the SSS was inspired from Living in Sin by endling of deviantart!**

**3. The SSS was originally supposed to be composed of only girls, but then I thought that if I did that then I'd be stealing Endling's idea completely.**

**4. Sebastian, the butler, was inspired by an anime called The Black Butler of Kuroshitsuji.**

**5. The songs that inspired me while writing this were; Ordinary girl by hannah montana, Who Owns my Heart by Miley Cyrus, and Umbrella by Rihanna.**

**6. This story was originally supposed to be about Team Natsu going on a job, but then Lucy was captured. That was it. Seriously. But then, I thought that it'll be more interesting if I followed GTDB's plot a bit more, so that's when I got the idea of Lucy dying and all. Eventually, one idea led to another and gave birth to a story with a completely different plot yet similar scenes!**

**Hope you liked the trivia. And yeah, I know, I lack originality. Fuck me, right?**

**Anyway, please review ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**


	22. Soul Release

**Yosh! Chapter 22 of Love and Sins is now up and ready! This chapter currently has 3,626 chapters, not including A/N.**

**Oh, and I would like to thank all of you for the reviews and all your support!**

**Anyway, here you go!**

* * *

"L-Lucy . . ?" Natsu asked as he continued to stare at Lucy, feeling nervous, uncomfortable, confused and slightly scared all at the same time. The blonde was currently glaring at him and had great killing intent' on her hand was the scythe she had used a while ago to block his attack. But now, it seemed like she wasn't going to use it for defending. Natsu was somehow sure of that.

Lucy suddenly let him go and swung her scythe towards him. Luckily, Natsu had acted fast and managed to dodge the attack. But he was almost hit in the stomach and this caused a cut in his shirt, but none in his body.

"Woah! LUCY!" he yelled so loudly that the others had finally noticed him. Their eyes widened at the sight.

"O-oi!" Laxus yelled.

"What's going on?" Gajeel demanded.

"Lucy-san!" Wendy cried.

"What the hell?" Sting asked.

"Hey! Pay attention!" Hyosuke said, taking the chance to attack and was able to knock the lightning mage out. The other SSS mages did the same with the other dragon slayers.

"Chance!" Galan yelled. He stretched his sleeves out and used them to hit Gajeel, hard, on the head, knocking him out.

"Sorry about this, sweetie." Kiyomi smirked, hitting Wendy and knocking her out.

"Hey, jerk-face!" Mia yelled. "Take this!"

She summoned millions of coins and crushed Sting's body with it, the white dragon slayer didn't notice it until it was too late, so he didn't have enough time to dodge the attack.

"Nobody calls me a li'l brat!" Mia stuck her tongue out.

Addei simply let out a battle cry as she controlled the air to send Rogue flying and make him hit his head, knocking him out. The dragon slayers were now defeated, but the SSS mages decided to simply kill them later on.

And soon, they were all tied up by Galan with the carpet. So, they now started to watch as Natsu was about to get killed by the seemingly innocent Lucy Heartphilia.

"So . . ." Addei said as she continued to watch them. "This is Adora's _demon persona_, huh?"

"_Well, damn. You've got to admit it; but she is terrifying._" Artemis said. They watched as Lucy skillfully held the scythe and tried to kill Natsu. Aeschylus and Galan could only nod.

" . . . uh . . . shouldn't we do something about this? Like maybe, help him?" Kazuki asked, shocking the others.

"Eh? But weren't you the one who had him the most?" Kiyomi asked.

"Yeah, why the change of heart?" Hyosuke asked.

Kazuki fell silent for a moment before he sighed.

"I guess I've finally realized why Adora likes him so much . . ." he simply answered with a smile. "The guy's not so bad, after all."

They blinked at him before sighing.

"It's not that I've completely forgiven him, though." Kazuki added. "I just trust him a bit, now."

"Yeah well, even if that's the case, we still can't help him while the prince is looking." Addei reminded them. "He's on his own, for now."

"Oi! Lucy! What are you doing?" Natsu yelled. The blonde just continued to swing the scythe towards him. Until she swung it forward, Natsu dodged to the right, making him fall to the ground, but he was still unharmed. The scythe dug deeply and created a crack through the ground, and it was now stuck. Lucy tried to pull it out, but it wouldn't budge.

"Lucy! What the hell are you doing? Stop!" he yelled, finally getting the chance to talk to the blonde properly. She kept on attacking him before, so he didn't really have time to say much. All he could manage was to yell out her name and tell her to stop.

"Would you calm down already? What are you attacking _me_ for? I'm not the enemy here! I came here to help you remember? Snap out of it already! Lucy!" he yelled. Then suddenly, Lucy stopped struggling to pull out her scythe, though she was still holding on to it. But other than that, she just stood there.

This caught not only the SSS, but also the prince's attention as well. Meanwhile Natsu just waited for her to reply with a _very_ serious and _very_ angry expression on his face. Lucy remained standing there, her bangs covering her eyes and hiding any emotion she might be expressing.

A few moments of silence passed. And then . . .

"Why . . ?" Lucy suddenly asked. This caught them all by surprise and they stared at her curiously and confusedly.

"Why is it like that . . ?" she asked.."Wh-what do you mean . . ? Lucy . . ?" Natsu asked, slowly approaching her. But then she started trembling, making him stop on his tracks. "Lucy what is it? What's wrong?" he asked again.

Lucy remained silent for a few moments before speaking again.

"It's so unfair . . ." she said, then she started recalling everything. Her whole life flashed before her eyes. Happy memories of her with her mother came first.

"I was so happy before . . ." she said.

_But then her mother died. _

"But she was taken away from me . . ." she muttered. Then she remembered how her father had treated her before. Tears formed in her eyes as she remembered all those painful memories.

_He didn't even care about her._

"I was so miserable . . ." she remembered her time in that huge estate. She never made any friends that were the same age as her. So she made friends with all the maids and servants. But usually they were really busy.

_She had been so lonely._

"I thought I could have escaped it all." She remembered running away from that place. It had been the best decision of her life.

_And then, she met him._

"I thought I could be happy again . . ." a single tear rolled down her cheek. And of course, Natsu noticed this.

"Lucy . . ." he didn't really understand what she was trying to say. In act, none of them did. They just listened to her and watched her as she trembled but kept her hold on the scythe.

"Everything had gone perfectly." she continued on. She remembered all those times when she became a member of the guild. She remembered the time Natsu asked her to form a team with him. She remembered the time when they formed the strongest team in Fairy Tail. She remembered all the jobs she went with them. She remembered all the jobs she went with _him_.

_They had been so happy._

"I should've known that it wouldn't have lasted forever." she muttered. Then she remembered the time _she_ came.

Ever since Lisanna came back, Natsu had been spending a lot of time with her. The two would be seen in the guild talking often. Lucy knew of their relationship as well. She knew about their relationship. he remembered how happy Natsu looked when they were together. She remembered how hurt and how jealous she felt.

_They looked like a real couple._

"Nobody knew what I felt." She remembered watching them together. Talking, laughing and goofing around. Sometimes they would even go on jobs together.

_Lucy was Natsu's team mate._

"I had to suffer all alone . . ." she remembered the pain she felt when she lost her mother. But the pain she felt seeing those two together seemed much worse.

_They were partners._

"You never knew how hurt I felt."

_She was his best friend._

"You'll never _know_ how hurt I was."

_But that was it._

"I had to hide all that pain."

_They're just friends._

"Even though . . ."

_She never wanted fame or fortune._

"Even though . . ."

_She never wanted any power._

"All I ever wanted . . ."

_She just wanted him to be hers._

She finally looked up, revealing all the tears that were streaming down her cheeks. She started glaring at the fire mage.

"Why . . ?"

It was so unfair.

"Why . . ?" she choked out, more tears streaming down her cheeks.

_She had loved him._

"Why did it have to be this way . . ?"

_She had loved him way too much._

"Why . . ?" She remembered the night of that incident. He had seemed so angry. It seemed like he hated her s much. And all because of that woman . . .

"_WHY COULDN'T SHE HAVE JUST DIED?_" she remembered saying. Lucy's eyes widened as she stared at Natsu.

"Why . . ?"

_She was to blame for all this._

"It's all . . ."

_He was to blame for all this_

"It's all your fault . . ." she gritted her teeth. She suddenly felt great anger.

_It was all his fault._

"WHY CAN'T YOU JUST DIE?" she yelled, completely outraged. Then a great surge of power suddenly enveloped her. Such great amount of power emitted from her body. And with ease, she managed to swipe the scythe away, creating a larger crack in the floor.

She gave out a battle cry as she charged towards Natsu with great anger and pure killing intent. Natsu, on the other had, was i complete shock. He had barely managed to dodge her attacks. She swung her scythe skillfully and she now purely intended in killing Natsu.

"JUST DIE!" she cried.

"Lucy! What- " Natsu was cut off as his head was almost chopped off. "Oi, calm down!

"So . . ." Addei said Beads of sweat rolled down their cheeks as they stared at the two in shock.

"Wh-what's going on . . ?" Kiyomi asked.

"_The bitch finally lost it._" Artemis said.

"It's the spell they cast on her." Addei explained. "It's called; Soul Release."

"Ah," Galan said. "I know that spell."

They turned to look at him.

"It's a spell that forces people to let out their inner emotions, I think."

"You're partly right." she said. "This spell only lets out the emotions the caster wishes them to show. In this case, the caster is his majesty, the prince."

"So . . . the prince wanted her to let out her anger?" Mia asked.

"Yeah . . .her inner anger. The ones she's been hiding all this time."

"Amazing . . ." Galan said.

"So you mean to tell us that she's been keeping this much anger all this time?" Kazuki asked.

"Not really." Addei told them. "It's another side effect from that spell. Anger is a negative emotion. So every other negative emotion has the ability to turn to anger."

"Negative emotions . . ?" Mia asked.

"Hurt, grief, jealousy, sadness, envy. All these have the power to turn into anger." Addei explained. "But even if you think about it . . ."

"She's been keeping in this much negative emotions." Kazuki said.

"Amazing . . ." Kiyomi covered her mouth in shock.

"I have a new-found respect for that woman." Hyosuke said.

"So, in any case . . ." Aeschylus said. "That guy's doomed, right?"

"Definitely." Addei nodded.

"Poor guy . . ." Kiyomi said.

"Don't feel sorry for him." Hyosuke said, annoyed.

"But . . ."

"He's right. That guy did deserve it." Kazuki added.

"I thought you've started to like him already!"

"No, I meant I hate him a little less now."

Addei ignored her team mates as her mind wandered off to something else.

'_I wonder of Scarlet had anything to do with any of these negative emotions . . ._' she thought.

* * *

Inside the dungeons, Erza sneezed.

"Bless you!" she heard Gray said.

"Thank you." she said, but suddenly jumped in shock as she realized something. "Gray! Are you alright?"

"Well, I'm all chained, cuffed, and my back is killing me from sleeping on the floor. But other than that, I'm pretty fine." he said sarcastically.

"There's no time for that!"

"Then why did you ask?"

"Look, we have to go save the others!"

"What?"

"They're in danger!"

"How did you know that?"

"I just do!"

"What if it's just another false info?" another voice joined in and Erza immrdiately recognized the voice.

"Minerva . . ?"

"We got into this situation because you got the wrong info before. How can we be sure that you have the right info now?"

Erza was speechless. She looked down in shame. It was true. It was all their fault they had practically failed the mission. And she will take full responsibility for it.

"In any case, we couldn't get out of here even if we tried." Gray said. "I can't move at a-"

"Lucy's alive." Era said, straight forwardly. There was a silence.

"Erza, what are you talking abo-"

"You'll just have to trust me!" she yelled. "Look, there are no guards around for now, so this is our chance to escape. Now are you going to help me or not?"

Silence.

"But-"Minerva tried to say but she was cut off.

"We don't have time to argue! Just give me a straight answer! And make it quick! Our comrades might be in danger right this second and we have to go help them!"

There was another silence as Minerva considered her options and made her decision.

* * *

Gajeel groaned in pain as he started to gain consciousness. The others simply grumbled as they started to wake up as well. And once they opened their eyes, they were greeted by the sight of Lucy trying her best to kill Natsu while emitting a great amount of magic power.

Their eyes widened in shock.

"What. The. Hell?" Sting stated. And that's when they noticed that they were trapped and they couldn't help their comrade.

"Damn . . . what the hell's gotten into bunny-girl?" Gajeel asked.

"Lucy-san . . . she's trying to kill Natsu-san!"

"She's being controlled." Laxus simply stated, making them look at him in shock.

"Look, remember about a week ago, when Erza went to spy in this castle with Gray and that Hibiki guy?" he asked, and they just nodded. "Didn't that playboy say something about some butler being controlled or hypnotized or something?"

"Oh, yeah . . ." Gajeel nodded.

"You man that butler that was with that spoiled princess?" Sting asked. They still haven't been filled up with all the details yet. So they don't know that the 'spoiled princess' was actually Lucy.

"Oh, no . . . Lucy-san . . ." Wendy muttered.

"Wait, how can you be sure that's the case?" Gajeel asked.

"Oh, well, I don't know, I wonder if it's the fact that Lucy's on those bastards' side or maybe it's the fact that she's trying to kill her best friend right now."

Silence.

"Well, if you put it that way . . ." Gajeel muttered.

"It could be possible." Rogue muttered.

Sting sighed. "Well, if that's the case, then Natsu-san's screwed."

"Yeah, since he definitely can't hurt hi mate." Gajeel added.

"Natsu-san would never even think of doing that . . ." Wedy muttered. "Especially after what happened."

"And that's just the disadvantage." Gajeel said, looking at the prince. "Knowing that, that bastard probably made bunny-girl fight Salamander."

"Other than that, it looks like she'd gotten stronger too." Sting added. "Natsu-san's screwed."

"You can say that again." Laxus muttered.

* * *

"Y-your highness . . ?' Addei called out to the prince. Hidenori looked at her and away from the scene in front of him.

"Huh? What is it?"

"D-don't you think that all this is such a waste of time?"

"Huh?"

"Well, we could easily kill that man right now. You don't have to get Ad- I mean, the princess to fight. This sort of thing is what we're here for, after all" she said.

Hidenori thought for a moment.

"No, leave them be."

"E-eh? B-but . . ."

"It's bee a while since I've had this much entertainment." Hidenori explained. "In fact, this is perfect. Seeing that foolish boy look at his beloved with fear. To witness him continue to have hope that his loved one still won't hurt him. How naive. I find it very entertaining."

He leaned back to his throne and looked back at his two victims. "I can't even wait for the part where he dies in the hands of his beloved." He smirked as Addei just stared at him, wide-eyed.

'Th-that's too cruel . . .' she thought. Bu never in her life did she even think pf saying that out loud.

"A-as you wish." she sad instead.

* * *

Natsu fell to the floor as he tried to dodge yet anther attack from Lucy. He groaned and tried to massage his aching head and tried to get up. But he stopped when he saw Lucy pointing the scythe right in front of his face.

"L-Lucy . . ." he stuttered as he stared at her, wide-eyed. "S-stop this! What the hell's gotten into you?"

Lucy lifted her scythe and swung it forward, intending to cut Natsu in half. But before she can do that, the fire mage's body was suddenly surrounded in great flames.

Lucy cried in pain as she fell to the ground. Natsu immediately got up and used one hand to push her towards the ground while his other hands were aflame.

"I said . . ." he stated through gritted teeth with such venom in his voice. Flames were threatening to be set ablaze in his entire body. "Calm _the fuck_ down."

* * *

Gajeel chuckled at the sight while the other dragon slayers sighed, except for Wendy who was completely shocked.

"I almost forgot about that." Gajeel said.

"Wh-what?" Wendy asked, obviously confused.

Gajeel smirked. "A dragon must always maintain dominance over his mate."

* * *

"What the hell is your problem? What's wrong? Why are you so angry?" he asked, Lucy just remained silent. So the fire mage leaned closer to her face. "Tell me, I can help you."

Lucy started to tremble. "You . . ."

She then gathered up a ball of magical energy in front of her chest and threw it at Natsu. She did it so quickly that Natsu didn't even know what had hit him.

"You won't understand!" she yelled. "You'll _never_ understand!"

Her hands then started to glow, but instead of glowing a bright yellow or white color, it was glowing a bright red color. She then ran towards Natsu and punched him in the gut. She was so strong now that Natsu had coughed up blood because of the impact.

"Just die!" Lucy cried once again.

Natsu tried to dodge all of her attacks, but he faied to do so once in a while and ended up getting hit real hard. He was already fighting a losing battle here.

'_Yeah, I'm fucked._' he thought.

_Well, well, giving up already, huh? How unlike you._

Natsu was shocked as he suddenly heard a very familiar voice. He then let down his guard for a moment and was hit, but he regained his composure immediately.

'_Wh-what . . ? Wh-who said that?_'

Oh, c'mon, have you forgotten about me already, Natsu?

Natsu's eyes widened as he finally realized who it was.

'_I-Igneel!_'

_That's right, son. It's been a while._

'_Wh-what's going on? Where are you? Why did you leave me?Why can I hear you right now? What happened to all the other dragons?_' Despite having a conversation with his long lost father, Natsu still managed to dodge all of Lucy's attacks.

_Woah, slow down there. I sensed that you were in danger and so I decided to check up on you. And when I understood the situation, I decided to help you out through telepathy. The other questions are no longer important for the moment._

'_Oh, so you know that my mate's gotten completely insane?_'

_I can see that. And wow, you really know how to pick 'em, son!_

'_Shut up! Anyway, what do I do? I can't calm her down!_'

Well, in this situation, I believe you should just listen to her thoughts for now.

'_Her thoughts?_'

**Why . . ?**

Natsu's eyes widened as he realized that he could now hear Lucy's thoughts.

**Why choose Lisanna over me . . ?**

**I did everything . . .**

**I tried everything . . .**

**All I wanted was for you to love me . . .**

**IS THAT SO MUCH TO ASK?**

'_L-Lucy . . ?_'

**IF I CAN'T HAVE YOU, THEN NO ONE CAN!**

Now do you understand? It seems she got the wrong idea . . .

'_Dammit, why are women so unreasonable?_'

Never mind that, for now we should focus on calming her down.

'_Oh yeah? And how will I do that?_'

I can only think of one way to bring her back to her normal self; give her what she wants.

'_Huh? And what is it that she wants?_'

Oh, I think you know what . . .

After a few minutes, Natsu soon realized what his dragon was trying to say.

'_Wh-WHAT?_'

Well, it's a long shot, but it should at least get her to calm down a bit.

'_I-I can't do that!_'

And why not?

'_Because!_'

Natsu! Your mate is in danger as well as all you friends and even yourself! Plus, another man is going to claim her as his! You know what to do!

What he did next was completely unexpected.

Gajeel, Laxus, Sting, Addei and Hyosuke's eyes widened and their jaw dropped. Kiyomi and Mia covered their mouths. Aeschylus, Artemis, Rogue and Galan stood there, completely frozen and wide-eyed. Wendy was beat read, her eyes were wide and her jaw was wide open. Kazuki simply shook his head. Meanwhile, Hidenori didn't even react to this and simply continued to watch them.

Natsu had gotten close to Lucy; he wrapped one arm around her waist and cupped her chin with his other hand.

CLAIM YOUR MATE!

He heard his dragon say before he had slammed his lips on hers.

* * *

**Well, I hope you guys enjoyed it.**

**Anyway, about this story, at the beginning there are some italized words when Lucy was talking and her scythe got stuck. Well, don't ask what they're for, coz I seriously don't know. Seriously, I just thought it'd be more dramatic that way. It was just an idea that popped into my head. So I a begging you, don't ask about it.**

**And about the thoughts at the end part, here's the list of who said what just in case you guys didn't understand;**

**Lucy**

_Natsu_

_Igneel  
_

**And yes, I put Igneel in this chapter. Man, it's my fanfic, I get to decide what happens around here. I don't care if I make the characters OOC or if you think I'm too cruel to them. That's the way I like it!**

**I would also like to apologize for any mistakes I could've made. I was in a hurry when I was typing this. And you shouldn't blame me. You guys were the ones who wanted me to update as soon as possible.**

**So, I'll try to post the next one real soon. I'll probably be able to since I haven't had anything to worry about lately. There are less projects and homeworks these days, and I'm thankful for that ^_^**

**Anyway, Please review ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**


	23. De ja vu

**Chapter 23 is here with 3386 words, not including A/N! Sorry if I made you guys wait! But I had some other stories I'm working on and I'm deciding which one I would go with. Maybe you guys could help me decide! Here they are;**

**A. It's mating season, and Natsu, Laxus, Sting, Rogue, and Gajeel all chose Lucy as their mate! This causes the dragon slayers to have a fight to the death! The winner will be able to claim Lucy's heart as his! Meanwhile, Lucy hides in the safety of the guild with her friends and away from the crazy dragon slayers.**

**B. Laxus and Freed have a fight! And it's because of Mira! Freed quits the Raijinshuu and spends most of his time trying to win the barmaid's heart, and Laxus starts doing the same.**

**C. Lucy is a pretty, nice, responsible and smart girl. She'd make a perfect girlfriend! But she's actually a single girl who never had a boyfriend before! The reason? It's because she lives with her two brothers who happen to be the toughest delinquents in town! They'd scare anyone who'd go anywhere near Lucy. But Natsu, a transfer student, becomes Lucy's partner fr a class project that lasts for over a month. So her bros are now forced to make an exception! Then love starts to bloom between the two.**

**D. Sequel to The Battle of Angels and Fairies, the Heartphilia's are back! Lucy was kicked out of Team Natsu, and then her family comes back and joins Fairy Tail. Then she joins her family's team. Natsu, Erza and Gray then wants Lucy back again but they have to fight for her. **

**Well, just vote through reviewing. I'll appreciate it. **

**Anyway, forget all the stories above and let's focus on this one! On with it!**

* * *

To say Lucy was surprised was just like calling Natsu misbehaved, it was too much of an understatement. She was beyond astonished. She was frozen under disbelief. Her mind practically went haywire from the pure shock as she wasn't even able to think straight.

Lucy's eyes widened as she stared at Natsu who had his eyes closed and just continued on kissing her. Even if she's under some sort of spell, she was still the same girl with the same personality and the same feelings towards the fire mage.

'_Lucy . . . __I love you . . ._' Natsu though, and strangely, Lucy was able to hear him. The blonde was now frozen in disbelief, she was practically shocked into unconsciousness. '_ . . . I love you so much . . . and I'm sorry . . . for everything . . ._'

His grip on her waist was very tight so she just couldn't pull away, not that she had the energy to. Her knees felt weak and they were shaking, her mind was completely blank. But despite all that and being under the prince's control; she still kissed him back.

'_ . . . please forgive me . . . I'm so sorry . . ._'

'_I know . . ._' Lucy thought. '_And __I love you, too . . ._'

Natsu couldn't have felt more happier, he didn't even bother to think how he managed to hear her thoughts, it just didn't matter right closed her eyes and relaxed under the fire mage's hold. Natsu felt her lick his lips and so he opened his mouth, allowing her entrance. They swapped tongues and explored every inch of each other's mouths as they fought for dominance. Natsu tilted his head to the side to deepen the kiss and Lucy just pulled him closer.

**Meanwhile, with the SSS . . .**

"Well . . . this is certainly an unexpected turn of events . . ." Addei managed to say.

"_Damn right it is._" Artemis scoffed, which was went ignored by her two male companions. Aeschylus just sighed at this while Galan shook his head.

"_Damn_ . . ." Was all Hyosuke managed to say. The other SSS members just continued to watch the two. Until Mia suddenly noticed something, that is, and she had decided to voice out her thoughts.

"Are they . . . I think they're _French_ kissing . . ." Mia whispered to them. This caused various reactions from them. Addei was now beat red, Kiyomi leaned forward to try and have a better view of them while her hand still covered her mouth, Artemis, Galan and Aeschylus just continued to stare at them with wide eyes, and the other guys were just frozen and also a bit flushed.

"Oh my God . . . I think you're right . . ." Kiyomi gasped slightly.

"Damn . . . you can see their _tongues_ from here . . ." Kazuki said in disbelief.

"Are they still kissing . . ? Because it's starting to look more like they're already _making out_, you know?" Mia said.

"Ok, I do _not_ have to see nor do I have to hear this . . ." Hyosuke said, looking away.

"Neither do I." Addei added.

"Adora-chan . . ." Aeschylus muttered.

"_Heh, looks like she's not as innocent as she looks._" Artemis said, an the two guys who could hear her merely nodded.

**Meanwhile, with the dragon slayers . . .**

"Holy crap . . ." Sting muttered. "I can't believe that guy actually had the balls to . . ."

"Squirt! Close your eyes! _Now_!" Gajeel ordered Wendy.

"B-but . . ." Wendy said, beat red.

"No buts! This is adult stuff, and kids your age shouldn't be seeing stuff like this! Now, close your eyes!" Gajeel scolded her, and Wendy immediately glued her eyes shut. But she was still flushed as she imagined what could possibly be going on.

"Heh, didn't think Natsu would actually have the guts to do that." Laxus admitted. "Especially at a time like this."

"It seems as if he just couldn't resist it anymore, despite the fact that his mate was previously trying to take his life away." Rogue commented.

"And damn, it looks like they're having a pretty good time over there, too." Sting said.

**Back to Natsu and Lucy . . .**

Natsu didn't want it to end. The feeling of her lips pressed against his was just heavenly. But they still needed air to breath so they had to pull apart, which disappointed the fire mage very much. But it was all forgotten as something unexpected happened. A red magic circle appeared above Lucy's head and shattered to pieces.

Once that happened, Lucy's appearance changed. Her hair became shorter and now only reached her shoulders, her eyes were back to being chocolate brown and even her clothes that were once composed of a black frilly dress that reached her knees and black combat boots were now replaced with a plain white dress and white ballerina shoes.

Lucy was back to normal, and Natsu couldn't be happier. Lucy, on the other hand, was still in a daze. She felt a bit dizzy and wasn't really able to comprehend the situation.

But once she felt alright and was back to normal, she looked up to see Natsu, his face was inches apart from her. He was giving her his signature goofy grin and didn't seem to mind the position they were in. Their position . . . It suddenly struck Lucy that they were in a very awkward position. Natsu had one of his arms wrapped around her waist and pulling her close to him, his other hand was cupping her cheek.

It practically took Lucy a few minutes to register and comprehend the situation she was in right now and finally remember what had just occurred between the two of them. Lucy blushed and it took her a few more moments to react to all this.

"KYYAAAA~!" she shrieked an ear-piercing shriek, practically making the dragon slayers go deaf. Then she slapped Natsu right on the face. The force of the slap causes him to let go of her and push the two away from each other. They landed on the cold hard ground with completely different thoughts in mind.

Natsu was just plain old confused. He brought a hand to his cheek which was stinging in pain. What the hell? Why did she slap him? That really hurt!

Wow . . .

'_I-Igneel!_' Natsu yelled in his head. He had almost forgotten about his dragon. He was probably the reason why he and Lucy were able to talk in their thoughts.

Oh . . . hey, Natsu . . .

'_Huh? Igneel? Are you ok? What's wrong?_' Natsu asked, confused.

Oh . . . well . . . it's nothing, really.

'_It doesn't sound like nothing._' the fire mage countered.

Well . . .

'_Yeah? What?_'

*Sigh* I'm going to be honest with you, Natsu . . .

'_Huh?_'

I-is that alright . . ? Well . . . you see . . .

'_Just say it already._' Natsu was getting really annoyed as he continued to rub his cheek which was still red and swollen. Man, that girl can sure slap real hard.

Well . . . 

'_Shouldn't you be happy? Your plan worked! My mate's back to normal!_' Natsu resisted the urge to grin like an idiot, because the others might think that he's completely mental.

Yeah, that's the thing . . .

'_What . . ?_'

I honestly didn't think that it would actually work . . .

.

.

.

'_WHAT?_'

Yeah . . .

'_YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT I JUST KISSED A PSYCHOTIC, MURDEROUS AND NOT TO MENTION UNBELIEVABLY TERRIFYING WOMAN WITHOUT HAVING THE GUARANTEE THAT IT WOULD ACTUALLY DO ME ANY GOOD?_'

Is that how you talk about your mate and future wife . . ?

'_DON'T TALK TO ME LIKE THAT! WHY DID YOU EVEN SUGGEST IT IN THE FIRST PLACE?_'

I thought that you should at least say good bye to your mate first before you die in her hands.

Natsu inwardly groaned.

Hey, it worked, what else matters?

'_Damn it, pops!_'

Meanwhile, Lucy was blushing furiously as she cupped her cheek with one hand and touched her lips with the other. Natsu . . . He had just kissed her. Natsu kissed her!

Lucy wasn't sure if she should feel happiness, embarrassment, or anger. Natsu had stole her first kiss. The one before totally didn't count because they hadn't been in their real bodies and because of the fact that it was practically just a dream.

Lucy looked around to make sure that no one else just saw them. But unfortunately, there was. She saw the whole SSS staring at her and Natsu in shock, and so were all the other dragon slayers. Lucy was now beat red and you could see steam coming out of her ears in pure embarrassment.

"Ad- . . . Lucy-chan . . ." Kazuki managed to say. It was his second time watching them kiss, so it was a bit less awkward for him. Only a bit, though. "It . . . it's nice to see that you're back to normal . . ."

"Hey . . . Lucy, right?" Sting said, intending to lighten the atmosphere. " . . . It's been a while . . ."

"Nice to see you alive and well, bunny-girl." Gajeel chuckled.

"Lucy-san . . ." Wendy trailed off, having nothing to say, and neither did Laxus or Rogue. So they just stared at the flushed blonde with uncomfortable expressions.

"So . . ." Mia said after a while of uncomfortable silence. "Aren't you going to introduce us to your boyfriend or something?"

It took a while for the blonde to register her words and she blushed harder. "H-he's not my boyfriend!"

"Doesn't French kissing a guy in front of a bunch of people automatically mean that you're dating him?" Sting asked, cocking an eyebrow at her.

If it was possible, Lucy would've blushed harder.

"Much less make out with him. You know, doing this kind of stuff in public makes it really awkward for the people around you." Mia added.

Lucy was tomato red, she was about to counter their statements when she suddenly heard the person who put her in this situation in the first place.

"Aw man, Lucy, that hurt . . ." Natsu whined.

"NATSU! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ABOUT?" Lucy yelled, obviously furious.

"What the hell are you talking about? And isn't that supposed to be my line?" he complained.

"Wh-what are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb! You slapped me right in the face! What was that for, huh?"

"Y-YOU IDIOT! Of course I would! Y-you don't just kiss a girl just like that!"

"Oh, and it's perfectly okay if you do it?" Natsu complained, making Lucy blush once again.

"I'm sorry, what?" Gajeel asked.

"Those two . . . kissed before?" Sting asked.

"N-Natsu! Sh-shut up, will you?"

"Okay look, you were the one who wanted to kill me! So it's not my fault!" Natsu said, and Lucy fell silent. That is, until Natsu spoke once again.

"All I did was give you what you wanted so you can calm down! So don't blame me!" Lucy blushed harder.

"Wh-what I wanted . . ? Wh-what are you talking about? Why in the world would I want something like that?"

"Say everything you want. But it worked, so it means that I already gave you what you wanted." Natsu smirked and she had wanted nothing more than to wipe it off his face.

"I-I didn't want you to kiss me! Especially not like that!"

"Oh yes you did!"

"I did not!"

"Did too!

"Did not!"

"Woman, you are in serious need of therapy! And throw in some Anger management while you're at it!"

Lucy was about to yell at him again, but she was stopped when a rock doll picked her up from her place and carried her into the air. She shrieked, but she didn't have to do this to catch their attentions.

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled.

"Well, it seems as if the fun is over." Hidenori, who seemed to have been quiet this whole time, finally spoke. "Now if you'd excuse me, I have some matters to attend to."

"Let go of her!" Natsu growled at him

"I can't do that, remember. She is a very important part if the ceremony. Although I'd still need to kill one of you as a sacrifice." Hidenori smirked and Lucy's eyes widened in horror and she tried to pry herself out of the rock doll's grip to no avail.

"You bastard, you said you'd let them go if I agreed!" Lucy yelled and Hidenori only laughed at her.

"Did you really think I'd keep such an idiotic promise?" he snickered and Lucy felt her blood boil in anger.

"Oi! What the hell are you going to do with her?" Natsu yelled.

"Honestly, haven't you been listening at all while I explained everything? You know what's going to happen to her already, don't you?" Hidenori smirked as Natsu and Lucy's eyes widened in horror.

"LET. HER. GO!" Natsu roared and his body was soon covered in raging flames.

Natsu . . . Calm down!

But the fire mage simply pretended that he didn't hear his foster father and continued to glare at the man who now had his mate.

He isn't an enemy you can fight alone! Stand down! Natsu! If you don't, there will be grave consequences!

Igneel desperately cried, but it was hopeless. Natsu was dead set on beating the living shit out of Hidenori. In fact, if looks could kill, Hidenori would have died an agonizing death long ago.

"By the way, you now it's not very nice to hit on another man's woman." the prince smirked and this finally made Natsu snap. He roared and charged towards Hidenori, using full speed and power.

Hidenori just snickered at this, and just when Natsu was about to hit him right in the face with his Fire Dragon's Iron Fist, black mist suddenly surrounded him. His flames were extinguished and for some reason, he couldn't move a muscle. Natsu's eyes widened and he turned to Kazuki, thinking that he was the one responsible for this.

But to his surprise, the man was just as shocked as he was. Kazuki didn't seem to be doing anything at all. So he wasn't responsible to what was happening to Natsu right now. Well then, who was?

Natsu turned his head ad saw Hidenori looking down on him with a smirk and a magic circle on one hand. His eyes widened. Only then did Natsu feel his knees weakening, his magic power was being drained and so was his life energy. He fell to the ground and started coughing up blood, his breathing was uneven and he could barely breathe. This spell . . . it was killing him. It was killing him nice and slowly, taking its time to make him suffer first. And for some reason, he just knew that Hidenori was making him suffer on purpose.

"Damn . . . you . . ." Natsu managed to squeaze out a few words before he coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried, she knew that Natsu was suffering right now. And the fact that she can't do anything about it but watch him suffer and slowly die right now hurts very much.

"Nats-san!" Wendy called after him, worriedly.

"Oi! Salamander! Don't even think of giving up now!" Gajeel yelled.

"P-prince . . . you know that all of this isn't necessary, correct? Y-you shouldn't waste so much magical energy." Addei said. Believe it or not, but Addei couldn't bear watching the young boy suffer. It just felt as if she had to do something. She just felt like she had to stop all this. But why? She didn't understand. Was this, what they call, having a heart? Did she felt pity over the fire mage? How could that be possible? She's been killing innocent people for years! And she hasn't showed the slightest bit mercy to them, whether they were strong opponents or just innocent young children. So what makes this boy so special?

She didn't know.

"Don't be ridiculous, Addei." Hidenori scoffed. "Do you not enjoy it? The sight of foolish people suffering? Do you not enjoy the sight of people cling on to false hope and watch them slowly die in the end?"

Addei felt a bead of sweat run down her cheek. "B-but . . ."

"You bastard! Stay away from him!" Lucy cried, tears were now rolling down her cheeks.

"Tch. So noisy." Hidenori scoffed. He threw a ball of magical energy at the blonde and it was a direct hit and caused a cloud of smoke to surround her completely. Natsu felt a painfully familiar feeling. The same feeling he got during the time of that incident, when he thought that he'd lost his mate.

"LUCY!" Natsu yelled, feeling as if all his energy was regained from him.

I told you . . .

"Lucy-san!" tears formed at the corner of Wendy's eyes.

"O-oi! You're going too far, here!" Laxus yelled.

The smoke cleared and revealed Lucy lying on the ground, she looked severely injured. The rock doll that once held her had now disappeared, most likely destroyed from the attack. Lucy lay on the ground, unconscious. Burns, blood and bruises covered her body. Her dress was now torn.

Natsu didn't waste any time and got up to run towards the blonde. But he was stopped when Hidenori suddenly appeared in front of him and kicked him in the stomach.

"Where do you think you're going, eh?" Hidenori smirked.

"We're not going anywhere." a voice suddenly appeared. Hidenori turned to see Gajeel punch him right in the face, sending him back a few feet.

"Che, you sure are pathetic, Salamander." Gajeel said. And soon, the other dragon slayers appeared next to him.

"Natsu-san, are you alright?" Wendy asked, worriedly.

"Yeah." he nodded.

"Oi, what's going on here?" Hidenori scowled and they all turned to look at him. "Weren't you all already held captive?"

They shrugged.

"We managed to escape." Gajeel chuckled.

Hidenori glared at him. "Well don't just stand there, get them!" he ordered the SSS. But they didn't react. They just stood there completely frozen, their eyes were covered by their bangs and they showed no emotions.

"Oi! What the hell are you idiots standing there for?" Hidenori growled at them, but they still didn't react.

"Hey, pay attention!" Sting yelled, attacking him with his White Dragon's Roar, and it was a direct hit.

"Oi, don't just stand there! Go get Lucy!" Laxus ordered Natsu, who immediately nodded and ran off to his mate.

"Tch, fine, whatever." Hidenori scoffed. "I don't need help beating the living shit out of you guys, anyway."

"Oh, really? Why don't you come over here and prove it?" Gajeel smirked.

A battle started between the dragon slayers and the prince. But Natsu couldn't care less about any of it. His mind was centered on one thing and one thing only; and that was to get to hi mate.

"LUCY!" Natsu cried as he pulled her into his arms, a pool of blood has already formed beneath her. "Lucy, hang in there! Lucy!"

"N-Nat . . su . . . I . ." Lucy muttered, her eyes suddenly felt heavy and she was losing consciousness.

"Lucy, don't you dare close your eyes! Stay with me here! Lucy!" he yelled at her and gripped her hand tightly, and she held on to his as well.

"I . . . can't . . I . . . Natsu . . ."

"Lucy!"

"Natsu . . ."

'_I love you . . . you idiot . . ._' he heard her thoughts. '_And . . . I guess that may have been what I wanted._'

Natsu thought of the kiss they had earlier. They stared at each other's eyes for a while. Lucy knew she was going to lose consciousness soon. Everything was already going dark.

'_I love you . . ._'

'_I know . . ._' Natsu thought, knowing that she could hear his thoughts as well. '_I love you too. . ._'

'_Natsu . . ._' she thought before smiling at him, and all Natsu could do was smile back despite the tears forming in his eyes.

Then suddenly, her grip on his hand loosened, her eyes were now fully closed and she was motionless.

"Lucy . . ?" Natsu asked.

There was no response.

"Lucy?"

Still nothing.

"Lucy! Lucy, wake up! Lucy!"

Lucy remained motionless, making Natsu stare at her in disbelief.

No . . . she couldn't be . . .

* * *

**I hope you guys enjoyed it! And this week is exam week, by the way. So I may not be able to update any time soon. I'll try though. But don't worry! Next week is our semestrial break!**

**So, please be patient, ok? And don't forget to vote for the story you like that was above!**

**Anyway, Please review ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**


	24. Escaping

**Chapter 24 with 3351 words! Sorry for the mistakes! Didn't have time to proof-read! No time! Here it is!**

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Natsu stared at the unconscious blonde in shock. He could no longer hear the sound of her breathing, neither could he hear the sound of her very heartbeat.

No way . . .

Natsu couldn't believe it. He just kept holding her in his arms and stared at her, searching for some sign of life. He strained his ears to hear a heartbeat, but it was hopeless. There was none. She didn't even move an inch. She showed no signs that she was breathing. The impact must have been too much for her small and fragile body that she wasn't able to survive through it. But Natsu just wouldn't admit that fact.

She just couldn't be dead! They just got back together! She ust returned to normal and he had already claimed her as his. She can't go now!

"Lucy! Lucy!" Natsu cried desperately, trying to wake her up while ignoring all of the commotion that was caused by the fight between the dragon slayers and Prince Hidenori. He shook her desperately, trying to convince himself that he hadn't once more lost her yet again.

"Lucy! Please! I'm begging you! Wake up! Lucy! Open your eyes! Please!" he begged, shaking her at the same time and also trying to stop his tears from falling.

"Lu . . ." before he could finish uttering her name another time, someone grabbed him by the collar and threw him away from Lucy. Natsu landed on Gajeel and their bodies slammed hard to the ground.

"What the hell?" Gajeel demanded, Natsu on the other hand remained silent.

Hidenori chuckled at them. "Well, now that you've said good bye to her, I believe it's time for you to leave." he smirked evilly and sadistically at them. "Forever."

A great amount of magical power is being emitted from his body and a deadly aura surrounded him. The dragon slayers stared at him in horror, except for Natsu who was still in a state of disbelief.

His bangs covered his eyes, preventing anyone to see any sort of emotion he was expressing. He didn't even seem to mind what's happening around him. He didn't care about the world anymore. Only one person filled hi mind and the very thought of what had just happened brought him so much grief and pain. Yet he refused to accept it. Well, if he had, he would have already went on a rampage. But deep down inside of him, he knew that she couldn't be dead. It was just impossible.

"Time to die." he said.

**"SATAN'S WRATH!"**

Their eyes widened and they could do nothing but brace themselves from the inevitable impact. Laxus, who had once already experienced the impact of the attack, knew that they were already done for.

Smoke soon covered the air. Hidenori smirked as he knew what would have already become of them. Although they probably weren't dead yet, since they were a stubborn bunch, but it should at least leave them gravely injured long enough for his plan to be put into motion. Then all that's left will be choosing the one who would be his sacrifice. He was thinking that the fire dragon slayer would be a nice idea, it would be just like interfering with a love story. He'd be killing him and then marry his woman. It'll be like adding insult to injury. But then again, the lightning dragon slayer was strong and had potential. It'll be likely for the plan to be a success. But then again, strength didn't really matter so long as the sacrifice is a dragon slayer. So even that young girl would do.

Hidenori continued to smirk at the continuous ideas for the ceremony, but as soon as the smoke cleared, his smirk was wiped off of his face and he now stood there in shock, all previous thoughts of the ceremony disappeared.

There, proudly stood the SSS, they looked determined and angry at the same time. And together, they had somehow managed to block Hidenori's attack.

"Oi! What is the meaning of this!" he yelled harshly, pure venom filled his voice. But they didn't even twitch. They just stood there, continually glaring at him. On the other hand, the dragon slayers were staring at them in shock. Who wouldn't be? Their supposed-to-be enemies had just saved them from their demise. Why in the world would they do that? Weren't they just trying to kill them a couple moments ago?

Meanwhile, Natsu was still frozen in despair, not even realizing what's going on. He just sat there on the floor, trembling and being swallowed by grief. He felt emptiness in his whole being. It felt as if there was now a hole in his existence that could never be filled up. It was like the emotions he felt at the time of the incident. Only, this feeling was much worse than the last. It was like that feeling was slowly killing hi inside. He felt as if life had no more meaning anymore. It's like he no longer had any reason to go on, to continue living.

The person he cared about so much, the person who was so special to him, the person who made him smile no matter what. Lucy . . . she was gone.

At that moment, Natsu could have snapped. He could have sent his whole body ablaze in such great anger and attacked Hidenori without a second thought with the intention of killing the bastard. He would have, but for some reason, he managed to hold himself back for a short while to re-think everything that's happened. He didn't know why, but he just did. And later, he was thankful he did that.

"Lucy . . ."

Natsu! Snap out of it, right now!

The dragon slayer flinched at his foster father's sharp voice. '_Igneel . . ?_'

Yes! It's me, boy! Who else could it be?

'_Igneel . . . I . . ._'

Listen to me closely, Natsu! And listen well! This is about your mate!

'_I know, arleady! She . . . she . . ._'

She's not dead! 

Igneel's sudden outburst caused Natsu to freeze in place. '_Wh-what are you . . ?'_

Look!

Natsu whipped his head around, and his eyes widened. He saw Lucy. And she was breathing. That much was clear to him as her chest rose up and down. She was breathing, though she obviously had a hard time doing such a simple act. But what's important was that she was wounds had already closed as well, much to Natsu's confusion. Well, sure she was still covered in injuries, but she wasn't bleeding to death anymore. In fact, she wasn't bleeding at all, anymore!

'_H-how . . ._' he wondered. He was so sure that she was dead. She wasn't moving a single inch before, nor was she breathing. But now, even from this distance, he could hear her heartbeat, loud and clear. The happiness Natsu felt inside of him was indescribable and he just wanted to go there and cry tears of joy.

Is such a thing even important at a time like this? She's alive! What else matters?

Natsu could only nod in agreement at his dragon's words.

I suppose it's just that you've picked such a fierce and stubborn mate, huh Natsu? That's my boy!

Natsu couldn't help but grin like an idiot. '_You bet!_'

Well then, what are you waiting for? A formal invitation? Go get her!

The fire mage didn't need to be told twice, he immediately got up to run towards the blonde but froze when he saw the scene in front of him; the SSS fighting the prince.

His eyes widened. "What the hell? They're on our side now?"

He had only noticed this now, while the others had already noticed it earlier but were too shocked to even react.

"W-what's going on?" Wendy asked as they continued to watch the SSS working together and managed to keep up with Hidenori, but it wasn't enough.

"They're helping us . . ." Laxus said.

"But why?" Gajeel asked.

"Maybe this is what people call; 'PMS-ing'." Sting suggested, earning him a smack in the head fro Rogue.

"That is completely unrelated." the shadow dragon slayer simply stated, and they continued to watch the fight.

Addei launched all four elements at the prince, who simply dodged all of them. Mia used this opportunity and used Golden Canon. It was a direct hit and Hidenori was sent tumbling down the ground. But other than that, it didn't have much affect on him and he immediately got back up.

Hyosuke transformed into a beast with such great speed and lunged forward to tackle the prince. Hidenori tried to dodge the attack, but he found himself unable to move. He looked down to see that his legs were being held down. One by Glan's sleeve that had somehow sneaked up to him and the other was by Artemis. Right now, he was immobilized, and he took full impact from Hyosuke's attacks. That also earned him a number of scratches around his body, caused by the man's claws.

Upon seeing his inability to move, the others soon took advantage of this and threw attack after attack on him, except for Aeschylus, Artemis and Galan of course. They were too busy making sure that Hdenori was still immobilized.

Soon, Hidenori got tired of this and a wave of great magical power sent them back. Even Aeschylus and Galan were unable to hang on any further and was forced to set the prince free.

"Sh-shouldn't we help them?" Wendy asked.

"Yeah, but . . . we'll just get in the way, right?" Gajeel said. The others agreed and continued to watch the fight.

Oi, Natsu! Stop slacking off, would ya?

Natsu flinched. '_H-huh?_'

You mate, Natsu. You forgot about your mate.

'_O-oh yeah._' he thought, then ran after Lucy. Then, very gently, he lifted her up with his arms and carried her; bridal style. Lucy shifted a bit in his hold, causing him to freeze. But she soon snuggled closer to him, getting comfortable, causing Natsu to grin. He then ran back to the others and set Lucy down next to Wendy, who immediately offered to heal the girl. But before Natsu could reply, a loud explosion was heard, catching teheir attentions.

They gasped as they saw the SSS on the ground, looking injured. Hidenori, on the other hand, was still standing without a scratch.

"Is that all you can do?" he asked. "All of you pathetic orphans stand up to me and this is all you can do?"

He gathered a ball of magical energy on his hand and threw it at them, but it only hit Addei and almost knocked her out.

"How dare you stand up to me! I gave you power! A home! And this is how you'll repay me?" he yelled in anger.

Addei coughed up blood, but still stood up afterwards.

"All that crap you've done for us before doesn't mean shit now." she scowled, taking them by surprise.

"I don't care if you're a heartless bastard . . . but . . ." she glanced at Lucy who was still unconscious in Natsu's arms and she recalled what Hidenori had done, what he made her go through.

"But you've just taken it too far." Hyosuke finished for her as he too managed to stand up. Soon the others started to get up on their feet as well.

"A line has been drawn and you've just crossed it!" Kiyomi cried.

"We don't care if you're the prince or whatever anymore. That was the last straw!" Mia said.

"We may have done things in our past. Terrible things that we can never atone for even if we spend the rest of our lives trying to repent for it." Galan looked down in shame.

"But now, we realized that it's still not too late. We can still change for the better. We _want_ to change for the better." Aeschylus, despite his usual glum attitude, smiled.

"Even if it will be a pain in the ass." Artemis chuckled. But unlike the ones before, it wasn't a sadistic chuckle she makes when she sees someone get hurt. It was the kind that expressed loving and kind emotions, despite how unusual it might seem for her. At this, Aeschylus and Galan couldn't help but smile at her. She realized what she had sounded like and seemed to have glared at them. "Don't you dare tell the others that I just said that!" the two men chuckled.

"So you see . . ." Kazuki said. "We found the wrong in our ways. We realized that there are just some things you can't give us . . ."

_"He can't give me happiness."_

_"Money can't buy happiness!"_

___"Love is the most wonderful feeling in the world. Nothing can compare to it."_

"We realized that there are just some things even you can't change."

_"Tears are tears. And you can't change that."_

___"But it can also be the most painful one."_

_____"Even if I'm miserable, as long as the people I care about is happy, I'm happy. And that is love."_

"There are just some things that are much better for us. And we won't be able to have any of those if we're locked up in this horrid mansion!" he cried.

___"I couldn't just sit in my room, knowing that you guys are probably dying! I had to check if you're all alright!"_

_________"The only thing important right now is that you're alright."_

_"You know what? I'm beginning to love all__ of you, too."_

"So yeah, we're going standing up against you for our freedom." Hyosuke said.

"All this time, you didn't take us in so you can help us. You did it so you can use us!" Kiyomi cried.

"Yeah, and we've got news for you! This group had just about enough of you!" Mia smirked.

"Once we have our freedom, we can start a new life." Galan said.

"A happy life that'll make us forget everything that's happened so far in our lives." Aeschylus added.

"Yeah, and maybe we'll be able to forget about your ugly face too, you bastard!" Artemis yelled.

'_I can't believe that we were so stupid._' Addei thought. '_Just because we were miserable doesn't mean we have to make everyone else miserable._'

They all remembered their painful pasts. All the hurt the felt, the tears they shed and the comfort they seeked but never found. They felt angry and jealous over the people that had such perfect and happy lives, unlike them. So they let their anger out on all of those innocent people that the king had asked to be killed. And they did it all so gladly.

How is it that only now did they see the wrong in their ways?

_'The past can't be changed.'_

_'We may never be given a second chance.'_

_'We don't _deserve_ a second chance.'_

_'But if we could just bring Adora-chan happiness . . .'_

_'If we could only help her along with her friends . . .'_

_'It won't be enough to atone for our sins.'_

_'But it's a start, I guess._'

With those thoughts in mind, they got into a battle stance.

Hidenori just stared at them as if they were complete fools. "What in the world could you be talking about, I wonder . . ."

They didn't waste any more time, they charged towards Hidenori. But not all of them did though. Yes, that's because this time, they had a plan.

Only Addei, Kiyomi, Hyosuke, and Kazuki went to attack Hidenori. Aeschylus and Galan faced each other and, in their minds, they chanted an ancient spell Artemis had taught them a couple years back. They still weren't sure if they could do it, but they had to try. It was their only hope for now. Mia, on the other hand, went to confront the dragon slayers. They have been watching them this whole time. It pissed her off a bit since they didn't even think of helping, but she decided to forget about it for now.

"Every one of you brace yourselves!" she ordered them, making sure the prince couldn't hear her.

"What?"

"You heard me; brace yourselves!"

"For what?"

"Look, just be prepared for anything and stick as close to each other as possible."

"We're not moving until you tell us why!" Gajeel said, getting annoyed.

Mia was getting pretty pissed off as well, but she tried to hold it in. "Look, all you have to know is that we're leaving. So get ready, stay close, shut up, and don't do anything."

"I'm sorry, but can you remind me again why we're supposed to trust you?" Sting asked, batting an eyelash at her.

"Yeah, weren't you just about to kill us earlier?" Laxus asked.

A vein popped on her head. "Look, if you haven't been listening, we've sort of changed our minds, okay?"

"Why? And that still doesn't explain why we should trust you." Gajeel scoffed.

"Well, maybe it's because we saved you butts back there and we're risking our lives to fighting the prince right now." Mia dead panned.

"Wait, why are you helping us in the first place. Why did you change your mind?" Laxus asked, suspiciously.

Mia paused for a moment, not really knowing what to answer. But she did glance at the blonde who was currently in the fire mage's arms. She stared at her for a while, until Natsu noticed her, that is. His grip on Lucy tightened and he growled at the SSS member.

Mia had found the way he was acting slightly cute, but she didn't dare say it out loud. Well, it just was. The little fire dragon was being so protective of Lucy and he looked like he cared for her very much. Maybe they did get the wrong impression out of him. Mia suddenly realized that she was getting off topic and went back to reality and dealt with the situation.

"Look, you just have to trust us, okay? We're your only hope right now." she said sternly. They paused, thinking it over. They thought of all their other options; they didn't have any. So they didn't really have any choice.

"Fine, we'll trust you." Laxus grumbled. Mia nodded and they all walked near Aeschylus and Galan. Meanwhile, the other four were having a hard time keeping up with the prince.

"Guys! It's time!" Artemis yelled at them. And at this, Addei threw all of her elements at Hidenori with a mixture of some of Kiyomi's air magic. Hidenori was sent back, crashing to the wall. They used this opportunity to get to the group.

"We're all here, you two! Let's go!" Addei told the two boys who were chanting the spell.

"_The shadows of the night and the power of the light. Give us the power to escape the darkness._" Galan chanted.

"_O, g__ive us a helping hand, take us throughout the land, and give us the power, no more no less."_ Aeschylus said.

"_Shadows and light!_" Artemis cried, and soon the dark shadow surrounded them. Hidenori watched this happen and immediately knew what was going on.

"You! Don't you dare run away from me!" he growled. They didn't pay him any attention. The last person he saw before they were engulfed in darkness was Adde, and she was glaring at him.

Then, the shadow turned into such a bright light that it almost blinded him. But soon, it faded away and he looked to see that they had disappeared.

"Tch. Traitors." he scoffed.

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**Please review! Hope you liked it!**


	25. Alliance

**LS CHAPTER 25 IS OUT! This chapter contains exactly 4,530 words, not including A/N! Yup, I know! It's longer than the usual 3000 words! Well, it's to make it up for you guys, I guess. I won't be able to update soon. So, enjoy this while you can!**

**On with the story!**

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A few miles away from the Visna castle, a certain peculiar shadow formed and grew larger and larger, until it stopped growing and had formed a round shape. Then it started disappearing into smoke and shrank. It revealed that within it, there were figures, people, inside of it. As the shadow around them continued to disappear, it became clearer who were the people inside of the dome-like shadow. The dragon-slayers and the SSS all looked around to see where they currently were. The shadow shrunk and formed into a figure of a person, and it became someone's shadow.

They all found themselves in the middle of the forest, and the dragon slayers immediately found it familiar. They somehow knew that their base, where they had settled in and set camp, was close by.

"Alright, is everyone here OK?" Addei asked, searching for anyone and making a headcount, just in case one of them didn't make it.

Sounds of approval were heard throughout the group, and she sighed in relief before turning to look at the castle. Even in such a distance, everyone could still see the castle from their current location, but not that much of course. "It looks like we all made it out of that place, safe and sound."

It's been a while since Addei and the rest of the SSS had gone outside of the castle's territory. In fact, ever since they became part of the SSS, they've never been able to go outside of the Visna castle. As the king's body guards, they must remain near the king, if not by his side, at all times. And since the king is not allowed to leave the castle for his own safety, neither are the SSS. Even all of their battles were done within the castle.

Addei thought it felt nice to finally be able to go outside. All this time, she had only stared at the view of her window from her room. And she could only dream that time, of what it could've been like to be able to enjoy the outdoors. Well, a woman can dream, can't she? But she never thought it would be granted like this. She thought it will be because of the king's orders and all, not because they were going against the king. Addei almost forgot why they were doing this in the first place.

Oh right, they were doing this for Adora-chan.

"Thank goodness." Mia said, before realizing something. She clumsily turned around with an apologetic look. "Oh, and thank you, too, Aeschylus. Galan. Artemis."

"You're welcome." Aeschylus smiled at her.

"No problem." Galan yawned.

"_Whatever._" Artemis scoffed.

"C'mon, the Christina should be close by. Let's go find it." Laxus said, looking around.

"Who . . ?" Mia tilted her head.

"Christina. It's kind of a big ship and I think it was called a Magic Bomber." Sting explained.

"Oh."

"But wait, didn't it get taken when we charged into the castle?" Sting asked.

"No, those guys from Blue Pegasus set it on auto-pilot and it went back to that same place we settled in before." Laxus explained.

"Oh."

"We can settle in there, and then I'll be able to heal everyone's wounds, especially Lucy's." Wendy said. "And even if I can't heal all of you, there's a first aid kit there."

"Heal us . . ?" Kiyomi asked.

"Ah, yes. I can heal wounds." the little girl smiled up at the older woman.

" . . . I see."

"Well then, let's get going." Laxus said, and they were on their way.

There was an uncomfortable silence that befell the group as they followed Laxus, in search for their base. It didn't even seem like they were enemies a few minutes ago and were trying to kill each other.

A few more moments of silence passed, until Laxus broke it.

"So, why did you guys help us?" he asked, turning to Addei.

She blinked in confusion. "Pardon?"

"_Why_ did you help us?" he repeated, slightly annoyed at the lack of answer.

"Yeah, weren't you guys going to kill us before?" Gajeel batted an eyelash at them.

"You guys have some major mood swings." Sting added, earning a smack in the head from Rogue.

"Sting, _I told you_; that isn't the case." Rogue dead panned.

"Weren't you guys listening?" Mia asked, annoyed. All eyes turned to her. "We just realized the wrong in our ways, you know? And we're sick of that bastard of a Prince bossing us around all the time. So yeah, this is kind of a form of going on strike I guess."

"But why now? And again, why help us?" Rogue asked.

Kazuki snorted. "Oh man, look you guys got it all wrong; we weren't helping you guys, we were helping Adora-chan."

"Who?" they all asked in unison. And every one of the SSS looked at Lucy. She was still unconscious and was currently being carried, bridal style, by none other than Natsu.

"She's a nice girl." Addei said.

"Adora-chan . . . well, you all know her as Lucy of Fairy Tail, I guess." Kiyomi smiled sadly.

"Lucy-san . . ?" Wendy asked, covering her mouth, their eyes widened and Natsu's grip on the blonde tightened as he growled at them.

"Woah, chill, Dragneel, we're on your side now, remember?" Kazuki said, trying to calm him down.

"What's your relationship with bunny girl?" Gajeel asked, making them raise an eyebrow at him.

"Bunny girl . . ?"

"Lucy." Laxus said, clearing it up for them. "He's asking; what's your relationship with Lucy?"

"Bunny girl? Really?" Hyosuke scoffed at Gajeel with his arms crossed.

"Look, there's a story behind that nickname! And I'm not in the mood to tell it."

"We're her friends." Kiyomi answered them.

"Friends?" Natsu eyed them suspiciously. "You've only known her for a little bit over a month."

"Which, mind you, is more than enough time for us to establish a rather close bond with her." Addei said.

"So, you're doing this as a favor for a close friend?" Rogue said, finally contributing something in the conversation.

"Well, yeah." Kazuki nodded.

"Well then, why didn't you just help her escape in the first place?" Sting asked. This caught them a bit off-guard. They flinched at this and looked down and away from them in both shame and depression.

"We've . . . made some mistakes." Addei said, still not looking up.

"We've had . . . wrong assumptions." Kazuki added.

"Look, the point is that we screwed up, okay?" Hyosuke said, straight forwardly.

"Damn right you did." Gajeel said, earning a glare from Hyosuke.

"Oh, shut up already. We know, we should've helped her escape when we had the chance. We were idiots to think that it was best for her if she stayed here. You think we're not blaming ourselves for all this? We let the only person who ever cared about us get hurt!" he snapped at Gajeel. Silence filled the air as they were too shocked by his sudden outburst. The SSS still had their heads bowed in shame. But then, Hyosuke continued, oblivious to the tense atmosphere he had caused. "Besides, you bastards don't have any room to talk, we screwed up just as much as you guys did!"

"Hey! When the hell did we screw up on something?" Gajeel was starting to lose his patience with these guys. The entire SSS turned to look at Natsu and started glaring at him. The fire mage flinched as he felt a shiver run up his spine at their cold and hard glares. He looked down at Lucy who was still unconscious and felt a familiar and great amount of guilt slowly engulfing him once again.

'_Lucy . . ._' he thought.

It's okay, Natsu. Don't push yourself too hard.

'_Igneel . . . but . . . it's all my fault._'

No it isn't, Natsu. You never wanted it to happen.

'_But I could've prevented it from happening! If only I've realized it earlier! If only I wasn't such a jerk to her that night! If only . . ._'

Natsu, everyone makes mistakes. Everyone makes a lot of bad decisions and does some things that they regret. And there's no reason to feel bad about it. I taught you that.

Natsu didn't reply and he just stared at Lucy with a blank expression. But one thing was for sure, he was really worried over her. He just wanted nothing more than to see her open her eyes and tell her that she was okay.

Don't worry, Natsu. She's going to be alright.

'_Oh? And how do you know that?_'

I just do.

Natsu was about to snap at his foster father, but was cut off when Mia said something that made him direct his attention to the other blonde.

"Don't worry about her to much. She's going to be alright."

"How can you be so sure?" he scoffed. Kazuki was the one who turned to him and explained.

"When the prince cast a spell on Ad- Lucy that made her hypnotized, he also cast a spell on her that gave her power and made her stronger. One of the powers she received is immediate recovery. That's why she survived such a strong attack from the prince earlier. That's why her wounds immediately closed a while after receiving them and that's why _that_ is happening." Kazuki explained then pointing at Lucy. They were all shocked to see that steam were coming from Lucy's wounds and they were now slowly disappearing.

"Yeah, amazing isn't it?" Addei smiled.

"So she's going to be fine?" Wendy asked. "I won't have to heal her?"

"No need. She's going to be alright." Kiyomi smiled at her.

"I see. Well, that's good. I was worried my magic might not be enough to heal her and the others." Wendy sighed in relief.

Meanwhile, the trio that was far behind the group were having their own conversation.

"_Hey, guys . . . do you feel it too or is it just me?_" Artemis asked, eyeing the fire mage suspiciously.

"Yeah, it's been bugging me for a while now . . . what was his name again?" Galan asked.

"I think it was Natsu." Aeschylus told him.

"Right. He's . . . emitting some sort of magic energy. It's strange . . . it's as if . . ." Galan struggled to find the correct words to describe what he, as well as the others, was currently sensing.

"It's as if his magic power is connected to another person's." Aeschylus said.

Galan nodded at this. "Yeah."

"_But . . . it's so odd._" Artemis said. "_He's making the same kind of connection I currently have with you two, only stronger._"

"How stronger?" Aeschylus asked.

"_In our little trio, only I can speak without the others hearing. But with the sort of connection he has, he can read the thoughts of the person he's connected to._" Artemis explained.

"You mean like read minds?"

"_Yeah, exactly._" Artemis nodded.

"But . . . the person he's connected to . . . I can't sense who it is." Galan looked around, throughout the group, no one is emitting the same type of magic he is.

"Maybe it's Lucy." Aeschylus suggested. This made them stop at their tracks and think about it for a moment.

"_It's possible._" Artemis said.

"Yeah, but they're too close to each other. It's too hard to tell." Galan sighed.

"_Well, let's say Lucy is the one he's connected with. Who's the other one, then?_" Artemis asked, making them look at her, confused.

"_Oh, c'mon._" Artemis said, obviously annoyed. "_Don't tell me that you haven't realized that it's like ours. He has a three-way connection with someone. Meaning he can read the minds of two people._"

"Geez, this is so confusing." Galan sighed.

"Why don't we just ask him?" Aeschylus asked.

"_How do we know that he'd even tell us? And other than that, is he even aware of it?_" Artemis reasoned.

"Well then, what's the problem? I mean, if he isn't even aware of it, why are we even bothering ourselves with it? It's way too much trouble." Galan complained.

But Artemis was seriously concerned about this, they noticed that much. She kept eyeing the fire mage, making them look at her with a confused stare until she finally explained. "_With such a strong magic power emitting on his body, the prince will be able to rack us down in no time._" she said with such a serious tone, making her two companions' eyes widen. But before they could react, they heard someone yelling.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

They turned to see a very angry Erza who had requipped into her Purgatory armor and was currently glaring at Addei. Behind her, all the other mages from Fiore were staring at her, shocked and confused.

"Oi!" Gray yelled, looking at Kiyomi.

"A-aren't you . . .?" Yukino asked, pointing an accusing finger at Mia.

"A-ah, well . . ." the two girls looked at each other before glancing back at their two former opponents.

"Th-that man!" Jura yelled, pointing at Aeschylus who backed away in fear and hid behind Galan.

"Scarlet, relax. Look, let me explain!" Adderi tried to say, but the Titania had already gone and tackled her.

"YOU! You are an enemy!" Erza cried, remembering how she was almost killed by the woman standing in front of her.

"A-Addei!" Hyosuke called after her, but seeing the demon of an opponent his ally had, he had no courage to step up. Yes, even the SSS have never encountered a person scarier than Erza. Well, except for Addei that is.

"Look! Just hear me out for a sec!" Addei tried to calm her down, but immediately failed. The SSS member knew she couldn't hurt the Titania. No, not after everything she's done to her. But if she didn't do anything, she was going to be killed.

"Erza! Calm down!" Laxus yelled at her, but before he can do anything else, Erza was already about to cut Addei's head off. The latter wasn't able to react quickly enough and could only stare as the blade neared her.

"ERZA!" The said woman stopped, just as the blade she was holding was just about to hit her opponent. That voice . . . it was so familiar. She knew who it belonged to. But, it was impossible wasn't it? It can't be. She was gone. But then again, there's only one person who that voice belonged to.

Erza quickly turned around to face the owner of the voice. Her eyes widened. There she was . . . Lucy. She was in Natsu's arms, although she seemed hurt, she was alive.

"It's been a while . . . Erza." the blonde smiled at her.

"Lucy . . ." Erza requipped back to her Heart Kreuz armor and blue skirt. She ran towards Lucy as Natsu put her down. As they came face to face, Erza stopped at her tracks and stared at her for a while.

"I-is that really you . . ?" she asked.

Lucy continued to smile at her before nodding. Tears were forming at the corner of her eyes. "It's good to see you again . . . Erza."

Erza couldn't help but smile as tears of joy continued to roll down her cheeks band she tackled the girl into a hug. Lucy was a bit startled at first, but soon she returned it.

"I can't believe it . . . you're . . ." the blonde could hear Erza sob against her shoulder. But before she could even reply, the two were tackled to the ground by Yukino and Gray.

"Lucy!"

"Lucy-sama!"

Natsu growled, feeling slightly jealous and being a bit possessive. "Oi, Gray!"

"Let it go for now, Salamander." Gajeel smirked.

He's right, Natsu. It'll be fine.

"Lucy . . . she's alive." Sherry covered her mouth in shock.

"No way . . ." her cousin mumbled.

"Who would've thought?" Jura couldn't help but smile and feel happy for them.

" . . uh . . . I don't mean to break such a happy reunion, but . . ." they turned to look at Addei who was rubbing the back of her head and feeling uncomfortable.

"YOU!" Erza yelled, she had completely forgotten about her and so she got up and requipped back to her Purgatory armor.

"She doesn't like you very much, does she?" Hyosuke whispered to Addei who sweat dropped.

"Well, I did try to kill her."

"Erza! Hey look! It's us!" Mia yelled going in front of Addei.

"You . . ." Erza muttered, recognizing Mia. "What are you doing here . . ?"

"We have a death wish, that's what." Galan dead panned, appearing next to Mia with Aeschylus right beside him.

"_Way to go straight to the point, Galan._" Artemis smirked.

"Wait, Erza, you know these guys?" Minerva asked.

"Well yeah, we met at the cells. They patched me up." Erza replied.

"Anyway, due to strange circumstances, they're on our side now." Laxus said.

"What?" the Titania looked at them in shock. "You're helping us?"

"Yep!" Mia grinned.

"So if you'd be so kind as to put your weapons down, we'll be able to negotiate." Addei dead panned as they uncomfortably stared at Erza who was unconsciously emitting a terrifying aura with a mixture of killing intent.

"Hmph, fine." she grumbled before requipping back to her normal clothes, making them relax.

"So, what are we going to do now?" Sting popped up the big question.

Silence filled the air.

"The prince would have already set a search party for us." Aeschylus muttered.

"We're dead meat. He would've told the soldiers to take us back, dead or alive." Mia shuddered.

"We're all going to get executed anyway, so it won't be a problem if the soldiers kill us themselves." Galan explained.

"But Lucy and Dragneel are a completely different story." Kazuki said, all eyes turned to the pair. "They need you both alive."

"Knowing that, the soldiers probably won't use any long-range attacks, because there'll be the danger of getting them hit." Kiyomi concluded.

"So we should be expecting an ambush of some sort. They'll be fighting in hand-to-hand combat." Hyosuke said. "That means we have the advantage . . . right?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Absolutely."

"They're going down."

"I'm sure we can beat them when it comes to skill."

"Good. But then again, we'll be completely outnumbered by then." Addei said. "I'm guessing that their plan is to split the army into groups to cover more ground. The first troop who'll be able to find us will alert the others. Then they'll fight us only to distract us long enough for back up to arrive. By that time, we'd already be outnumbered and it'll be an instant lose."

"So what are we supposed to do now?" Erza asked, finally managing to trust Addei despite the short period of time they've had the truce.

"Simple. We sneak into the palace unnoticed and create a magical barrier preventing any of the troops outside to get in. Kiyomi and I will be able to handle that."

"Rufus would also be able to assist in such a task." Minerva said, looking at her guild mate who nodded.

"Leave it to me."

"Well then, Kiyomi, myself and . . . Rufus? The three of us will be left behind at the gates to create the barrier. That will prevent anyone from the outside from entering and vice versa. In such an emergency, the prince would have sent majority of the troops in the search party. There are sure to have a lot of them left behind, but I'm sure we'll be able to manage."

"So, the problem with numbers is solved. The soldiers are no longer a problem and the SSS is now in our side. Looks like we have the complete advantage." Laxus smirked.

"Not really." Hyosuke said. "You're forgetting about the Prince."

"And, as you've already know, he's not someone to be taken lightly." Kiyomi added.

"So, what do we do about him?" Hibiki asked.

"The key to win is to defeat that man." Addei's face darkened. "I'm afraid I must leave that to you."

"WHAT?" they yelled.

"Keep your voices down, dammit!" Kazuki hissed.

"Wait, why can't you come and help us defeat him?" Jura asked.

"Because we have our own job to take care of." Mia said. "The current king."

"It's likely that he still hasn't known of our betrayal yet." Galan explained.

"So we'll be like double agents and take him down!" Hyosuke smirked.

"But wait, the prince is hard enough to take care of. Wouldn't the king himself be much stronger?" Sting asked.

"Nope. He's been really letting himself go these past few years." Kazuki chuckled.

"Well, to get straight to the point, he's dying due to a very grave illness." Addei said. "So it won't be a problem killing him."

"W-wait, wouldn't it be cruel to kill a dying man?"

She scoffed. "Believe me when I say that man will deserve it."

"Anyway, every one of you will be divided into groups." Hyosuke said.

"The first group will be the one who'll fight the prince." Mia explained.

"And the others will take care of all the other troops who may still be in the castle." Kazuki said.

"The ones who'll be doing that are better off to split up. That way, you can cover more ground. But make sure that no one goes alone." Kiyomi advised.

"So, all we have to do is sneak into the castle and defeat the prince, right?" Laxus asked.

"There's no time to waste, so you guys can choose the ones who'll take on the prince when we get to the palace." Hyosuke said.

"Alright! I'm all fired up!" Natsu cheered, earning a smack in the head from Kazuki which almost made him lose consciousness.

"Didn't we tell you to keep your voice down?" he felt a vein pop on his forehead. "Do you _want_ us to get caught?"

"D-don't be so harsh on him, Kazuki-san." Lucy sweat dropped.

"Well, now that I think about it . . ." Addei said thoughtfully. "We'll need a lot of stealth to get to the palace undetected. But with this many people, it would be rather difficult."

"Artemis can hide us in her body." Aeschylus suggested.

"_I cant hide_ all_ of you, moron!_" she yelled.

"Sorry . . ." he mumbled.

"Well, she can't hide us all now, can she?" Addei said.

"_That's right!_"

"Sorry . . ."

"But it would be a great help." Addei said, all eyes turned to her. "How many people can Artemis carry?"

"Eh? Well, around 20 at most. But then she'll be moving a bit slowly." he answered.

"There are 31 people here. So, 11 will have to sneak into the castles on their own." Erza said.

"Ah, actually, we're going to stay behind." Jenny said, and the Trimens along with Ichiya nodded.

"Eh?"

"Well, we're going to have to take care of the troops that'll be outside the castle, right?" Ren asked.

"And we'll be able to do that easily with the Magic Bomber; Cristina!" Eve cheered.

"Well . . . I suppose they're right." Erza sighed.

"Well then, it's down to 26 people, I guess." Addei said.

"In that case, we'll help them." Lyon said. Behind him were Sherry, Toby and Yuka who're all willing to some with Blue Pegasus.

"Shelia and Jura are both strong so it'll be best if they come with you guys." Sherry added.

"22 left." Addei stated. Then, Lisanna, Wendy and Yukino stepped in.

"We won't be of much help inside, so I guess it'll be best if we stay behind." Lisanna rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment.

"It's down to 19 people. That'll be enough." Addei said. "Everyone get ready! We're leaving."

"Eh? Already?" they asked.

"We can't afford to waste any time now, can we?" Addei argued with them.

"B-but . . . shouldn't I at least heal them first?" Wendy asked.

As they continued to fight, Yukino approached Lucy with Lisanna tagging along.

"Lucy-san, here are your keys." Yukino smiled at her.

"Eh? Oh, that's right . . ." Lucy paused for a moment in deep thought.

"Is something wrong?" Yukino asked.

"Silence."

"Maybe . . . you should hold on to them for a little longer."

"Eh?"

"Well, it'll only be temporary, and I guess you'll need it more than I do."

"B-but, how will you fight?" Yukino asked, panicking a bit.

"A lot of things has happened." the blonde smiled at her. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I promise."

The Sabertooth mage paused for a moment before nodding. "Okay." she smiled at her and Lucy smiled back before she watched her walk away.

"Lucy . . ." Lisanna said. Lucy flinched upon hearing the youngest Take Over mage.

"Y-yes . . ?" she asked. Lucy wasn't really comfortable with talking to Lisanna anymore. After all, she's had a lot of terrible thoughts about the girl. She had even wanted her to be dead! You can't just think that and then suddenly have a normal conversation with the person. That's just plain wrong.

"It's good to see you alive and well." Lisanna smiled at her, and she could do nothing but smile back.

"Thanks. It's amazing, isn't it?" she giggled.

"Yeah, a miracle. Almost like the time _I_ came 'back from the dead'." they giggled, before there was another silence.

"Hey, Lucy . . . be careful, okay?"

"Huh?"

"Well, Natsu was really upset when he thought you were gone. I mean, you should've seen him be all depressed like that. Well, everyone was, but he was even more upset than the others were. It just wasn't right to see him like that. And . . . I'm positive that none of us, especially not Natsu, will ever want to go through that again."

Lucy could do nothing but listen to the other girl's speech in shock.

"So, be careful, alright? I'm sure Natsu would want to go home, back to Fairy Tail, with you." Lisanna smiled, grabbing her hands.

Lucy was silent for a moment before she smiled. "Of course."

"Okay look, I don't mean to get in the middle of your oh-so-touching conversation, but we're ready to go." Kazuki said before grabbing Lucy's hand and leading her to the other group.

"Be careful!" Lisanna called out to her.

"Alright. Let's go, Artemis!" Addei commanded.

"I know! Don't tell me what to do!" the shadow yelled, then she surrounded the group and enveloped them inside of her.

* * *

**Well, that's it! Lucy and Lisanna made peace and so did Erza and Addei! Hope you guys enjoyed it!**

**Please review ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**


	26. OPERATION, START!

**Ah, I'm sorry for the late update! I got so absorbed into watching various animes and also the holiday events that I completely forgot to work on my stories. Gomennesai!**

**Anyway, this chapter has exactly 3,881 words, not including A/N.**

**Hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

Artemis got them in front of the gates in only a few moments later. Thankfully, most of the troops had already left so they didn't need to do much sneaking around. So Artemis released them from her body the moment they passed through the gates and entered through the castle.

"Alright, Kiyomi, Rufus, let's get to work!" Addei commanded. And soon, they started working on a barrier that would be able to prevent anyone from going in or out. Although it took a few minutes, they still managed to do it at least.

"Ok, now we have no time to waste. Let's get to work." Addei said.

"Let's go." Erza said as the whole group, excluding the SSS, started to follow her.

"Wait a second, Adora-chan." Addei called out. Lucy turned to face her with a confused look.

"Maybe it'll be better if you come with us." the woman said with utmost confidence.

"E-eh?"

"Oi! What the hell are you talking about?" Natsu asked, outraged. Well, his mate was going to have to leave his side again, of course he couldn't possibly let that happen.

"Lucy can't come with you! She has to stay with us!" Gray said, agreeing with the fire mage for once.

"What in the world would possess you to say that it would be best for our nakama to leave our side?" Erza asked, equally angered by such a statement as her team mates. Well, sure they were currently helping them, but that didn't mean that she already trusted them completely. Of course not. And other than that, she'd be damned if she ever let Lucy out of her sight right after she found out that she was alive and well.

"You guys are going to be fighting the prince, correct? Well, even if you can say that Lucy is now out of his control, the effects of the spell he had casted on her still hasn't worn off completely yet. The Prince may still be able to control Lucy. He's just that powerful." Addei explained.

"We just can't take that risk." Hyosuke added.

There was a silence as they processed their words and weighed their options.

"I'll go." Lucy spoke up. Wide eyes all turned to her in shock.

"Wh-WHAT?" Natsu yelled in disbelief.

"You heard them, I'll just be a burden if I stay with you guys. And the last thing we need is me fighting against you. So it'll be better off if I stay with these guys." Lucy explained.

"B-but . . !"

"Natsu please, I trust Addei-san and the others. And you guys should too. They'll take good care of me." Lucy said as she walked to the SSS, but was stopped by Erza.

"Lucy, may I remind you that these people almost killed us? Why in the world should we trust them?" she questioned.

"Three reasons." Kazuki answered for the blonde.

"One, you have no choice." Mia said.

"Two, we're the reason why you're all alive right now." Galan stated.

"And three, Lucy trusts us. So since you trust her, shouldn't that go the same for us?" Aeschylus questioned, although he spoke in such a soft voice that they were barely able to hear him. Erza fell silent for a moment before she sighed and allowed Lucy to walk to them.

Natau was able to do nothing but watch as his mate walked away from him. He trusted that Lucy would be able to come back to him, sure. But the single thought of her leaving his side again hurt him so badly.

I know you must feel horrible, Natsu. But you must respect her choices. It's for the best.

'_But . . . but . . ._'

Enough, Natsu. Maybe this will make you feel better . . .

**Natsu . . .**

He almost jumped as he heard Lucy's voice in his head. He had almost forgotten that they were able to do that. Well, at least Igneel was.

**I really don't want to part with you, but . . . It's for the best, right? I mean, I'll just get in the way after all . . . like how I've always been.**

Natsu continued to listen to the blonde's thoughts; also noticing the sadness in her eyes. '_Lucy . . ._'

**But, it's not like we'll never see each other again. After this is all over, we'll come back to the guild together and everything will go back to normal.**

A sad smile formed on her lips.

**I promise.**

Natsu resisted the urge to smile as well. '_You better keep it._'

Good, now that that's settled, you have a score to settle with that bastard of a prince! he heard Igneel speak.

'_Yeah!_'

"She better come back to us!" Erza yelled as they went their separate ways. "Lucy better come back to us safely!"

"Yeah, yeah! Geez, you have no faith in us at all!" Hyosuke complained.

"Good luck!" Addei called back, ignoring Erza's statement.

"You too!" the titania replied.

And then the two teams went their separate ways, knowing that they have a mission to accomplish.

* * *

"Ne, Addei-san, can I ask you something?" Lucy asked as their group made their way towards the highest tower in the castle, where the king's room should be located.

"Yeah?"

"You said that the spell still hasn't fully worn off, right? What exactly do you mean by that?" She asked. Although Addei had already made it clear before, she needed to get one thing straight.

"Huh?"

"I'm asking if you can be more specific?"

"Well, the spell they performed on you consisted of putting a certain amount of magical power inside you. Half of it gives you immense magical power and the other half gives the prince power over you. But after your boyfriend _kissed_ you," Addei took note that a dark blush settled on the blonde's cheeks. "_he_ was the one who gained power over you."

"W-wait, what!" Lucy asked, obviously shocked.

"That's right, sweety." Addei said with a sort of motherly tone in her voice. "He somehow gained control over the spell and you were then forced out of the prince's control and under his."

"But then . . . how am I doing things under my own free will?" Lucy asked before she paused thinking it through for a moment. "_Am_ I doing things under my own free will?"

"I'm pretty sure you are, since you did come with us." Addei said. "Well, I guess it's gotta to do with his _feelings_ for you."

Once again, the blonde blushed, and Addei observed her for a while before continuing. "He can make you do anything that comes into his mind, literally. All he's got to do is think of the order and the next thing you know, you're doing whatever the hell it is he wants you to do without him even saying anything."

"So what does that have to do with it?"

Addei couldn't help but giggle before she spoke. "He could've given you an order without realizing it. He must have wanted something. Something that only you can give."

Lucy continued to look at the older woman in confusion. Addei found her cluelessness a bit cute, and decided to explain further. And with one sentence, all questions were answered.

"_I want the old Lucy back._" she quoted, catching Lucy by surprise. "He could've just wished for it in his mind and you just mistook it as an order."

"I see . . ." the blonde muttered. "So . . . the only thing's that's changed is the person who has control over me, right?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

Lucy then stopped running. "So, that means I still have all that immense magical power inside of me, right?"

The entire SSS stopped in their tracks and also paused for a moment to think about the blonde's words.

"I . . . guess."

"Why don't you try it?" Mia suggested. Lucy nodded and closed her eyes as she tried focusing her magical energy. She then held a hand out in front of her while the others watched her in silence. Then she opened her eyes and a crack formed from the floor and out came a scythe. The same one that Lucy had used beforehand to attack Natsu.

"Wah! Amazing, Adora-chan!" Mia cried as she stared at the younger girl in amazement.

"Ah, well . . ." Lucy could only rub the back of her head and blush in embarrassment.

"Woah! That's pretty impressive." Hyosuke smirked. "It might come in really handy."

"Yeah, but can you do anything else?" Kazuki asked.

"Eh? A-anything else?" Lucy repeated in confusion and a bit of panic.

"Yeah. Summoning and recovery aren't the only things you can do now, you know." Addei said.

"E-eh? B-but, I don't even know what I can do. H-how am I supposed to do something if I don't even know what to do?" Lucy sweatdropped. Silence filled the air and then a depressing atmosphere surrounded them.

"That's true, isn't it?" Addei said, feeling a bit foolish.

"Now that I think about it, we don't know what she can do either." Mia added.

"I feel so useless . . ." Aeschylus sighed.

"Same here." the others said in unison and they started to sulk. A depressing atmosphere befell them, causing Lucy to panic.

"U-uh! P-please don't be so hard on yourselves! I-I'm already incredibly grateful for everything that you've done so far!" Lucy said, trying to cheer them up.

"Adora-chan . . ." they all said, tears of joy threatening to fall from their eyes.

"Oh, and you don't have to call me Adora-chan, you know." the blonde added, smiling brightly at them. "Call me Lucy."

"Lucy . . ?" they asked, repeating the word as they tried to get used to it.

"Yeah, that's my name after all."

"Well, we can't get used to calling you that so quickly." Mia whined.

"She has a point, ya know. It's to much of a bother." Hyosuke sighed.

"I-I know but . . ."

"Anyway, isn't 'Adora-chan' cuter?" Kazuki asked.

"Yeah! It is!" Kiyomi agreed.

"Y-yeah, but it's just that . . ."

'_Lucy . . ._' Addei thought as she watched. '_Ah, that's right. She can't be our Adora-chan, after all. She's not our 'loved child' or even just the child who loves us. She's Lucy of Fairy Tail. That's the person she's always been, and there's nothing we can do to change that._'

Sadness could be seen at the young woman's eyes. '_And . . . after all of this is over, she'll go back to Fiore. She'll go back to her guild and all of her friends. But we're cursed, along with this entire country. We can't leave. But Lucy can. Of course, she'll want to leave this place. She'll want to forget all the pain she went through._' tears threatened to pour out of her eyes but Addei willed them not to. '_And eventually . . . eventually . . ._'

Happy memories of the eight of them together appeared in her mind. All of them laughing together, eating together and goofing around with each other. It had only been a month, but somehow, this young girl had managed to change them in so many ways. She had managed to make them experience so many things. She had made them feel something so wonderful and amazing.

She made them feel loved.

It was something none of them has ever felt before. And they may never will.

'_Eventually, she'll forget all about us. We'll just be another bad memory she wished she never had._' her bangs covered her eyes in order to hide her emotions. '_I . . . I don't want that to happen. Ever._'

"C'mon guys, stop fooling around." Addei said in a serious tone of voice as she tried, and succeeded, to hide her sadness. "We still have a job to do, you know. We'll figure out Lucy's powers later. And besides, it's not like she's stuck with it for the rest of her life."

"Ah, she's right." Hyosuke said.

"Eh? But it'll be so cool if she were to use those powers to kick some butts right now." Kazuki sighed. "Well, I guess it'll have to wait."

"Yeah, now let's hurry up." Addei ordered in her usual superior voice. "A lot of people are counting on us."

They all nodded and once again, started running towards their destination. Addei still had those same thoughts, and all the way to their destination, she was urging her tears to stay back.

'_But even if she forgets us, even if it's only been about a month and a half . . . for the rest of our lives, we'll never forget the girl that brought us happiness and changed us for the good._' she thought. '_The girl who brought light to our darkness . . ._'

* * *

"Alright, it's time for us to split into groups of two." Erza said. "So, let's decide who'll go after the prince and who'll take care of the other soldiers that are still wandering around."

"She's taking charge again . . ." Minerva muttered in annoyance.

"Well, it can't be helped." Sting shook his head.

"I'm definitely gonna take that bastard down!" Natsu cried.

"Well then, me too!" Gray said.

"There are twelve of us. So we'll all be divided equally." Erza said. "Now then, let's decide!"

* * *

After a few minutes of continuous fighting, arguing, and punching, they've finally decided.

**Team (A) Take-down-the-Prince:**

_Jura_

_Laxus_

_Erza_

_Gajeel_

_Natsu_

_Sting_

**Team (B) Take-down-the Troops:**

_Shelia_

_Gray_

_Rogue_

_Rufus_

_Minerva_

_Orga_

Although a few of them were very disappointed in the job they ended up doing, most coming from the second team, they had no choice since someone had to do it. And also, Erza threatened to take them down, if they don't do the job they were assigned to.

"Alright, let's go!" Erza yelled before they went their separate ways.

* * *

"Ok, now that that annoying red-head is gone, we better split into groups ourselves." Minerva said.

'_This whole time, she was just waiting to be back in charge . . ._' the men in Sabertooth thought.

'_So that's why she had no problem in not being in Team A._' Gray thought.

_'She's so cool . . ._' Shelia thought, having completely different thoughts from the others.

"To cover more ground, we better go in groups of two. Now, choose a partner." she added.

A few minutes passed, and they all still couldn't decided on who to pair up with. This got Minerva really annoyed at them. How hard was it to just find someone to be his/her partner?

"Fine! I'll pick!" she snapped.

**These were the pairs:**

_Gray & Rufus_

_Orga & Rogue_

_Shelia & Minerva_

"Oi! Why am I paired up with this guy?" Gray cried.

"Shut up! This is my decision. Now let's go, we've wasted enough time." was the only thing the young woman said before hurrying off to a random path she chose with Shelia following right behind her.

Gray grumbled as the other pair made their way towards another path they've chosen

"I simply wish for you to know that, despite the miss' wishes, this doesn't change the fact that I am still not very fond of you." Rufus said.

"Well hell, I don't like you either." Gray retorted.

Rufus sighed before he headed to a different path from what the others had taken. Gray only watched his retreating figure for a while before sighing and following the man.

'_First, not being able to take on the prince, now I'm being paired with this guy . . ._' he thought. '_I sure am unlucky today . . .'_

* * *

"Alright, everyone, just act as if we're still on his side, okay?" Addei told them as they stood right outside of the king's room.

"Right." they muttered, nodding.

"Lucy, just stay here and let us handle this okay?" Addei told the blonde. "If the king sees you, he might get suspicious."

"O-okay!" Lucy nodded.

But on the inside, she was thinking; '_I'm so useless . . .'_ while sulking.

"Ok folks, let's get in character." Addei said and they all took a deep breath.

Silence.

"Yo!" Kazuki cried, slamming the door open with a wide and cheerful grin on his face. From the inside the old man had flinched at the sudden arrival and held his hand on his chest to calm himself.

"K-Kazuki?" he asked.

"Sup, old timer!" Hyosuke smirked following Kazuki inside with the rest of the SSS right behind him.

"Good evening, your Majesty." Addei spoke in an emotionless tone with an emotionless expression.

"G-good evening." he greeted back, still a bit confused on why they were in his room.

"Ah, Your Majesty! It's us!" Kiyomi smiled.

"The Almighty Souls of the Seven Sinful Souls!" Mia stated proudly with a grin.

"I-I can see that . . ."

'_Th-they're actually doing a pretty good job . . ._' Lucy thought, sweat droppingas she hid behind a wall at the corner of the hall and away from the room, but they weren't out of earshot. '_Who knew they were such amazing actors?_'

"So, may I ask what you're all doing here? Shouldn't you be downstairs, taking care of the dragon slayers?" the king asked.

"Ah, we already did that." Hyosuke answered.

"Yeah, didn't you hear all the explosions from downstairs?" Mia asked cheerfully.

"Yes, I did. It makes me wonder if my son will even have a throne to sit on." the king sweat dropped.

'_Even though he's the king of such a terrible kingdom, father of such an evil man and has assassins for bodyguards, he doesn't seem so bad._' Lucy thought . If truth be told, this was actually her first time with the king, other than that time when she first got here. Although during that first time, the king just stood there and watched. He didn't really say anything, and it didn't even feel like he was there at all.

"So why are you here, then?" the king asked.

"Ah, well . . ." Addei spoke up but before she could even finish, she was cut off by his majesty.

"Don't slack off. Go do your job properly you good for nothing orphans! Do your damn jobs before I decide to have you executed right before I retire!" he snapped, his voice was cold and filled with venom making them flinch a bit.

Silence filled the air.

'_I was wrong! He's just as much as an asshole as his son!_' Lucy thought.

"Ah, well, the ceremony is about to take place. So the prince sent us to get you. All the other troops are busy since a prisoner escaped-"

"A prisoner escaped!" the king asked in disbelief, his booming voice resounded through the halls.

'_Wh-what are you doing, Kazuki-san!_' Lucy wondered as she started to panic.

"I-it's alright. It was just a weak one, but she was pretty smart." Kiyomi said.

"I see . . ."

'_Woah, they're really good at this . . ._'

"Anyway, other than that, the others are busy preparing for the ceremony, and we didn't have anything else to do. So the prince sent us to get you." Addei continued the explanation.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, we're still your bodyguards until midnight, after all." Mia smiled.

"Now then, we better get going." Addei said, maintaining her emotionless act.

'_They managed to fool the king into coming with them, but how do they plan on killing him?_' Lucy wondered as the group made their way outside the room. Unexpectedly, Aeschylus suddenly walked up to her.

"I-I think it's better if you hide inside Artemis for a while. Just long enough to wrap things up." he said.

"Ah, ok." she nodded, then Artemis put her inside of her.

"Oi! Aeschylus! What are you doing over there?" the king called out, seeing Aeschlus at the corner off the hall.

"Ah, Your Majesty." Aeschylus said in an emotionless, but at the same time, tired voice. "I saw a mouse. It looked happy. Happier than me."

A depressing aura started radiating from him. "Even a small mouse is better than me . . ."

"Stop slacking off! Let's go!"

'_A-amazing! Even Aeschylus-san is doing a good job at this!_' Lucy thought as they made their way towards the stairs.

* * *

"Alright, we're the ones assigned to take down the main enemy, to finish our main goal." Erza said. "If we lose the battle, we may not be able to live through it. Moreover, we won't be able to go home. So, even though I'm sure all of are already aware of this, I'll say it; Failure is not an option."

They nodded.

"But defeating such an enemy will be very difficult." Jura said.

"Yeah, the two of us didn't even stand a chance against that guy." Laxus added. "Can we even win?"

"We have to!" the titania snapped. "Everyone back home is counting on us right now! We can not let them down!"

"Yeah! We're going to kick that bastard's ass!" Natsu cried. "I'm all fired up!"

Don't get too excited Natsu . . .

"Gihi. That's right. No way we're going to lose to him!" Gajeel smirked.

"That guy won't be a match for us! No matter how strong you are, four dragon slayers and a mage saint will be difficult opponents, especially when you're alone!" Sting said, pumping a fist up in the air.

'_I-I'm being left out!_' Erza yelled in her head.

"Geez," Laxus sighed as Jura shook his head. "You guys are too carefree."

'_I would just love to see the looks on your faces when you idiots figure out how strong that guy really is._' he thought.

"Anyway, how are we supposed to find him in such a big castle, anyway?" Sting asked.

"You don't have to." another voice appeared and they whipped their heads around only to face Hidenori himself.

"You . . ." Natsu said, venom filling his voice.

'_H-how did he find us so fast . . ?_' Erza wondered in shock.

"You should be honored, it's rare for me to be able to face an opponent, myself." Hidenori smirked. "I have a bone to pick with you, for taking my woman."

"You got some nerve to say that, bastard . . ." he growled.

The prince just chuckled before speaking once again. "Well, I don't have that much time left,there's only a little over two hours before midnight comes, and I still have to find my wife." he explained, and Natsu scowled at the last part. He then spread his arms wide, maintaining the smirk on his face. "So, come at me. Let's get this over with, already."

"Woah, cocky are we?" Natsu asked, glaring at the man with a smirk. "I'm all fired up."

* * *

**Alright! The final battle that decides their fate starts now! Or rather, the next chapter! Please bare with me!  
**

**So, I've realized a few things in this site lately.**

**SOME CHAPTERS IN A STORY HAVE AUTHOR'S NOTES THAT ARE LONGER THAN THE STORY ITSELF!**

**It really annoys me that they're focusing on answering the questions of the readers and taking their time in replying on each review when they can just put the answers in the story itself, if possible! And they can just give EVERYONE a big 'thank you' for reviewing. Seriously, this is a site to post stories! Not a blog!**

**If some of you guys do this on your stories too, then I'm sorry for speaking like this. It's just that we didn't wait for a long time just to read what you have in Author's note! Hell, sometimes I don't read the author's note at all! Just keep it simple and get straight to the point! Unless it's important like 'I'm taking a break from this story, please forgive me'.**

**That's all, thank you very much!**

**Anyway, Please review ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**


	27. We Won't Forgive You

**OMG! How long has it been since I last updated? About like, 2 months ago? Well sorry about that. It's just that I'm slowly getting more interested in Kuroshitsuji more than anything else! So I completely focused on that anime instead of my stories for a few weeks. I'm so sorry! But it's not like that's the only reason! There's also writer's block and school work!**

**But anyway, the reason why I updated was because in the author's note, I wanted to tell you guys something. I'm not the type to just give out a chapter that has no story in it and only an author's note. So I finished this chapter first before anything else. IT TOOK ME TWO FREAKING DAYS!**

**Well anyway, I received some terrible news. THE FAIRY TAIL ANIME IS GOING TO GET CANCELED! ARE YOU F***ING KIDDING ME? They canceled Rave Master and a lot of other good animes too, but now FAIRY TAIL! WTF for! Someone please tell me why! I mean, what if they cancel the manga next without finishing the GMG Arc?**

**Anyway, here's chapter 27 that has 3700 words not including the A/N. **

**Enjoy ~ !**

* * *

"Gah!" Erza cried in pain as she was thrown to the wall with such great force that she was barely able to stand back up.

"Erza!" Natsu called out in concern, but his attention returned to Hidenori as the man gave the same treatment to Gajeel. "Damn . . ."

The fire mage put his hands ablaze and charged towards his opponent, letting out a battle cry. Hidenori then turned to him with a smirk on his face and his hand generating dark magical power. He threw a punch of his own at the fire mage and they locked fists. But Hidenori's power was much stronger than Natsu's. So the fire mage was sent flying back towards Erza.

"Hmph. Is that all you got?" the prince asked, smirking. Then he sensed someone behind him and immediately turned around, just in time to block an attack from Laxus.

"Not bad." Laxus muttered. "But let's see you take this on."

"Rumbling Mount Fuji!" Jura yelled from behind. And Laxus turned himself into lightning just in time before the spell was fully activated and he didn't get caught up in the attack. Hidenori, on the other hand, took the full force of the attack. Smoke filled the air and they waited patiently until a faint silhouette became visible. Erza wasted no time, not underestimating their opponent and changed into her Armadura Fairy armor.

"Fairy Piercing Armor!" she yelled with the top of her lungs.

After the spell was activated, an agonizing shriek was heard, verifying that their opponent was indeed hit with the attack.

"Now! All of you, GO!" she commanded, signaling the dragon slayers to give the finishing blow.

"Got it!" they nodded in unison.

"Fire Dragon's . . ."

"Iron Dragon's . . ."

"Lightning Dragon's . . ."

"White Dragon's . . ."

"ROAR!" they yelled in unison. All the elements mixed together, creating a tornado mixed with all of their elements. Before Hidenori could even realize what was happening he was hit with the full blast of the attack.

Smoke filled the air, along with silence. The only thing you could hear resounding in the hallways as of this moment is their heavy breathing.

"Did . . . did we beat him . . ?" Natsu asked, still panting.

No one answered him, and instead they waited for the smoke to clear. When it did, they saw Hidenori's motionless body. It was full of bruises and blood. For a moment, they only watched him, waiting for any sign that he was going to get up. But he didn't and only lay there motionless.

They all sighed in relief.

It was over.

* * *

"Ice Make: Lance!" Gray cried and immediately knocked out several soldiers.

"Honestly, it took you long enough." Rufus shook his head in which causing a vein to pop on Gray's forehead.

"Shut up! You barely did anything in the first place!"

"Don't be foolish!" Rufus dead panned. "The both of us shouldn't be wasting all our energy in weaklings such as these. At least one of us should be saving our energy just in case an even stronger opponent appears!"

"You say that, but I bet you're just too fucking lazy." Gray muttered under his breath.

"Putting that aside, did you not notice anything?" the blonde asked.

"Eh?" the ice mage blinked in confusion, to which Rufus only shook his head once again.

"Listen." he instructed. He was unsure as to why he did it, but Gray still followed his instructions, stayed silent and listened to his surroundings.

Silence.

"I don't hear anything." the ice mage dead panned.

"Precisely!" Rufus exclaimed, and Gray only looked at him as if he was about to hit him with annoyance. "Just a moment ago, these hallways were filled with the sounds of people battling, was it not? In fact, did you not hear a few explosions just before you finished these fools off."

Gray paused for a moment in consideration. The guy actually had a point. "So what do you think this means?" he asked.

"There is no doubt that those noises came from the first team. After all, neither the miss nor Orga and Rogue would need to use such force. Even though miss can be a bit sadistic and cruel at times, she would never waste such precious magical power on weaklings such as these." Rufus said, kicking a guard on the stomach. "Especially on such a critical situation."

"Well, you have a point there." Gray nodded. "But saying that she's 'a bit' sadistic is an understatement, don't you think?"

Rufus only ignored his last statement and continued his explanation. "So that means that Team A has found the prince."

"Eh? Already?" the ice mage asked. "But it looks like it stopped. So could the fight possibly be over?"

"Impossible." Rufus dead panned.

"Eh?"

"The Prince is obviously not someone to be taken lightly. And it's obvious that that team won't give up at any cost. So for it to end so soon, wouldn't something like that be impossible?" Rufus asked, rendering Gray speechless.

"Something is definitely wrong." he concluded, making the ice mage gulp.

* * *

"Ah, your Highness, please be quick. We're in a bit of a hurry here." Kiyomi said as they descended upon the staircase. "We won't want to miss the ceremony know, would we?"

"Yes, yes." the king replied.

"C'mon c'mon! Let's go King Cedric!" Mia cheered.

"Be patient you brat!"

_"Oi! What's going on out there!" Lucy asked from inside Artemis. She couldn't see or even hear a thing that's going on. She was surrounded by darkness and her whole body felt numb._

_"Shut up!" a feminine voice answered harshly. "Just pipe down. You're getting on my nerves!"_

_"A-Artemis-san?" Lucy asked._

_"Yeah, what do you want?"_

_"Wh-what's going on out there?"_

_"Don't worry, it's just that as of now, no one can see or hear you except for me. Not even Aeschylus can hear you."_

_"Okay . . . but why? And again, what's going on out there?" Lucy felt slight fear because of the darkness and Artemis cold voice resounding in her ears. She only shivered when the shadow giggled faintly._

_"Oh don't worry, we just have a little job to finish." Artemis spoke in a sickly sweet voice._

_"E-eh? Y-you mean killing the king?"_

_"Yup~!"_

_"Well then, why do I have to be in here, and can't you show me what's going on outside?"_

_"Oh no~! We couldn't possibly let you see!"_

_"Wh-why not?"_

_Artemis chuckled._

_"Something like that is only between us and that son of a bitch! We couldn't possibly get you involved!" she said. "Besides . . ."_

_Lucy waited for her to continue, still slightly confused and a bit afraid._

_"You wouldn't want to witness something like that. It's better not to get emotionally scarred."_

_At this, Lucy's body began to tremble in fear. "Wh-what are you going to do . . ?"_

_"You don't want to know . . ."_

"Oi, by the way . . ." King Cedric trailed off, catching their attention. They all stopped in their tracks and stared at their master in confusion.

"Is something wrong, your Majesty?" Addei asked.

"There's quite a ruckus down there." he said. "What's going on?"

"Eh, I wonder about that too." Hyosuke said, acting oblivious.

"Could it be that the troops are having some trouble with the prisoners . . ?"Mia suggested, acting as oblivious as Hyosuke.

"Eh? But they weren't even that much o a challenge the last time we fought them." Kazuki said. "Plus they were tied with anti-magical equipment. Even those idiots couldn't possibly have a hard time taking care of a bunch of chained dogs. I bet they're just having troublre with Cerberus."

They all smirked.

"Heh, those idiots can't even deal with that little puppy, huh? How pathetic!" Hyosuke snickered.

"Even though Cerberus is so cute, they're so afraid of him." Kiyomi said.

"Well then, shouldn't you be tending to help them tame that beast?" the king said, making them freeze.

"Eh, but your Majesty-" Galan said but was cut off when the king snapped.

"I've been thinking . . ." he added. "Why would Hidenori send you to my chambers? Its not like that brat cares about me or anything. He probably wants me dead."

The old man scoffed as they started to sweat and become nervous.

"Y-Your Highness, please don't say that. The prince-" Mia started but was also cut off.

"Don't be foolish! That brat has been waiting all his life to take the throne! He's probably forgotten about me! Moreover, he would have sent you to tend to our princess than to bother about me, wouldn't he? He would have made you stay with her and assure her safety! She is, after all, the key to this whole ceremony. Her safety is the utmost priority. Then, I am going to ask again, WHY THE HELL ARE YOU BRATS HERE?" He yelled, probably angered by their arrogance and dishonesty.

Silence befell them as his Majesty only glared at them, the SSS never felt more nervous in their entire lives. They tried to find some sort of excuse to all the king's questions. But as moments passed, they only looked more suspicious.

Addei finally sighed, she was currently the only one standing behind the king, but despite that the old man ignored her and continued to stare at the ones in front of him. Addei went down a few steps and leaned down. She put one hand on his shoulder and her chin on the other, he flinched a bit on the sudden contact and felt slight nervousness and unease at her actions.

"Your Highness . . ." Addei said in a dark and cold tone. Then he suddenly felt a sharp pain coming from his back, making his body tense up. "Please don't raise your voice like that. You might disturb others."

She had stabbed him.

Addei had stabbed the king.

He could already feel the warm blood flowing from the wound. Addei was glaring at him from behind and the others already knew what she had done since they kind of expected it. So they only stared at the king as he had a pained expression on his face while theirs were blank and emotionless.

The woman then removed the blade from him causing more blood to spill from the wound. He felt such excruciating pain. His knees began to feel weak and soon gave out, making him fall down the staircase. The SSS did nothing but watch him with a bored expression as more wounds started to appear on him. When he reached the end of the flight of stairs, he started coughing up blood while his former body guards began to approach him.

"We had just about enough of you." Addei said, with the same cold tone. She, as well as the others, glared at the man in front of them.

"You . . . you traitors!" he spat out. "You dare try to deceive me?"

"You're angry at us for deceiving you?" Mia asked, her brows furrowed a bit.

Hyosuke scoffed. "Like you're one to talk."

"Deceiving people and feeding them lies for your own personal gain." Aeschylus muttered.

"Pretending to be their ally and dispose of them when they're no longer needed." Galan added.

"That . . ." Addei finally spoke, right behind the others. ". . . is what you've been telling us until now, isn't it?"

Their words made the man's body tense up and look at them in shock, the pain he was experiencing was briefly forgotten.

This made Addei scoff. "What? You really thought we didn't know?"

"We're not that stupid, you know." Hyosuke added.

"You . . ." the purple haired mage glared at the man who was currently bleeding to death, her eyes showed pure hatred. She had clenched her fists tightly and was slightly trembling. "You were the one who killed my father, weren't you?"

At this the king's eyes widened and he immediately tried to get up. "H-how - ?" but he was cut off when pain shot through his entire being.

"So it's true . . ." Addei whispered, mostly to herself and went pass her fellow SSS members. "My mother had died when I was born, and then 23 years ago, you attacked the village I was in."

The others listened to her patiently, staring at her with the same blank expression they gave the king.

"My parents have been one of the strongest knights you had. They were both former members of the SSS. But then they fell in love with each other, and to live a peaceful life they left the castle and went to live far away with my aunt. But since you wouldn't let them, they had to do it by force and killed the rest of the previous SSS in the process. It was easy for them since they were the strongest." Addei sighed. "So you had to get back at them."

FLASHBACK

_"D-damn you . . ." a tall man with dark purple hair cursed under his breath. "Back off! I'm not letting you have my daughter!"_

_They were currently far from the outskirts of the village. After Addei's father had told everyone to take shelter, he went on and decided to take on the king and his army by himself._

_"My my, Takeshi. I'd never think that a prideful man such as you would have a soft spot for little brats." King Cedric, who had been in perfect condition that time said in a mocking tone._

_"Tch." the man, Takeshi, continued to fight with all his might. But unfortunately, he was already fighting a losing battle._

_"Oh? Having a hard time, Takeshi?" the king mocked even more. "Too bad you don't have your beloved Naveen with you right now, eh?"_

_Takeshi only growled as King Cedric mentioned his late wife._

_Meanwhile, Addei who was still 5 years old at that time had snuck out from their house to look for her father and was now hiding in the bushes to watch the fight. She had desperately wanted to go there and help him since he obviously need it, but she was also afraid of the old man who was standing at the far back, watching his father fight while mocking him._

_Then, Takeshi was unable to fight any further and fell to the ground in exhaustion. Seeing this, King Cedric told his knights to stop and approached the fallen soldier._

_He chuckled. "Well well, it looks like you can't fight any longer." Smirking, he pulled out a knife from his coat and pointed it at him. "Therefore, I see no reason for you to live any longer."_

_And right then and there, Addei saw her father get killed right before her eyes. Blood started to cover him, staining his clothes and dripping to the ground. Her eyes widened, and the world seemed to have just stopped for a moment as she tried to register what was happening._

_King Cedric removed the knife from Takeshi's chest and the man fell to the cold hard ground as blood started to pool around him as well._

_"FATHER!" she cried instinctively and ran to him. King Cedric as well as the other knights were startled at her sudden appearance. But she completely ignored them as she ran to her father's side, tears flowing down her cheeks._

_"Father! Father!" Addei cried desperately._

_"Ad . . . dei." He looked at her with warm and loving eyes and what seems like an apologetic look. "Your mother and I wanted you to have a peaceful and wonderful life . . ."_

_"Father . . ." her eyes widened as she trailed off, speechless._

_"I'm sorry . . . I won't- . . be able to- make sure you do." he said, struggling to speak the words that may forever be left unspoken. "Please . . . make sure . . . you grant it . . for us . . ."_

_"Father . . . please don't say that!" Addei cried._

_"Hurry! Take the child! She's the one we're looking for!" someone had shouted, but the two of them paid no mind to it._

_"Are you sure that's the one?"_

_"What if it's not?"_

_"How can we be sure?"_

_Her father started coughing up blood, making Addei very worried._

_"Father! Please hang on!" she said, practically sobbing at this point. "I-I'll get help! There are a lot of great doctors at the village. They'll be able to save you, wouldn't they?"_

_"Addei . . ." Takeshi could only look at his daughter with sadness visible in his eyes. ". . . Always remember- . . . your- mother and I . . . loved you."_

_Addei stayed silent as she continued crying._

_"We . . . love you. Very very much." he said before he stopped breathing. Addei's eyes widened._

_"F-father . . ?" she called out but received no reply. "F-father!"_

_"Shut up you fools! Get that child already!" King Cedric ordered and his knights obliged and started t tackle her._

_But before they could even land a single finger on her, they were all blown away by such great power that it even damage a portion of the village. This caused the villagers to leave their houses and see what was going on. You could only imagine their shock as they saw Addei emitting great amounts of magical power and being covered in flames. Her eyes were glowing bright red and the look on her face said that she was about to kill anyone._

_King Cedric only watched this happen and an idea formed in his head. He tuned to the villagers._

_"Foolish villagers, is this the child you were trying to protect?" he called out. "You were trying to protect a demon!"_

_The villagers could only look at Addei in fear and they became more afraid when they saw Takeshi dead surrounded by a pool of his own blood._

_"Y-your Majesty, what are you doing?" A knight asked._

_"It seems that this brat is still to young. So I'm going to leave her at this village for the time being. But in the meantime, it's best if she's treated with hatred in order for her to gain hatred. When the time comes, she'll be ready to be a part of the new SSS." King Cedric explained._

_He approached Addei and attacked her from behind with a spell, knocking her unconscious. What nobody knows is that he also hit her with a spell that will make her forget everything that's happened in her life so far._

_And with that he, along with his knights, left the village. When Addei awoke, people did not treat her so kindly anymore and she had also mistaken her aunt for her mother. Everyone had figured out that she had lost her memories, but it was no excuse for them not to treat her so badly._

END FLASHBACK

"You . . . you were the cause of it all." Addei clenched her fists, her tears unwillingly falling down her cheeks. "You caused me pain and suffering, and you took my father away from me."

The rest of the SSS were now looking at her with pitied expressions, but she only ignored them.

"I . . . will never forgive you." she said in a shaky voice.

"Hmph. Well, she's not the only one you have a fault with." Hyosuke said. "You cursed me and Kiyomi, right? We were to serve you when the right time comes and until then, we were cursed to suffer and have great misfortune."

"It wasn't that my family didn't care much about me when I was young. They were just didn't know how to cope with the fact that they were going to lose me someday." Kiyomi said. "And it wasn't that they hated me when I grew older, they were just upset since they knew that the time for me to leave was nearing."

"The reason why my parents always argued was because they knew about it too. They were probably arguing on how to lift the damned curse from me, and it's probably also the reason why they had no time for me. But I can't really say for sure." Hyosuke then grinned. "But I sure as hell am betting on it."

Kiyomi smiled along with Hyosuke, they were both happy knowing the fact that their families had indeed cared about them. Then Mia spoke next.

"Around a decade ago you were conducting numerous experiments. One of them was about a deadly plague and you wanted to test its effects. And unfortunately, my mother drew the short straw." Mia spoke and practically spat at King Cedric and glared at her with pure hatred. "You killed my mother just so you can conduct your little science experiment!"

"As for us, we _were_ the science experiment." Galan said. "You took us from our families and experimented on our bodies."

"Artemis was the result of one of the experiments you did on me." Aeschylus added. "Although it doesn't seem like there were any lasting effects on Galan."

"After stealing us when we were just mere infants, you then sold us off when we were of no use to you." Galan muttered.

Silence filled the air until Kazuki spoke up that is.

"Well then, it's my turn." he sighed. "Well, it's not much I guess. My parents were soldiers who, of course, worked for you. Then you sent them on mission where they were killed. They did care about me. They were only strict because they knew the time might come that they won't be there for me."

Kazuki sighed at this. "I don't know if I should be sad or whatever. After all, they did bring it upon themselves. And anyway, they died a noble death." he said, muttering the last sentence. "But despite that, I feel the same as Addei. We _all_ do."

The atmosphere darkened as they all started to glare at the bleeding man, lying on the floor.

"We . . . won't forgive you!" they all cried at once.

* * *

**Well, hoped you liked it. Oh, and here are the new characters' names.**

**Naveen means "Beautiful", so I guess she represented "Lust" when she was still in the SSS.**

**Takeshi means "Strong", he represented "Pride" like Addei. **

**Cedric means "War leader", he's the king. I thought it'd be weird if I just kept calling him "the king" in the narrations. So I gave him a name.**

**BTW, I was a bit in a hurry in making this. So I only gave Addei a flashback. I didn't see a need for the others to have one, anyway. And she's also kind of the leader. ****The whole thing about the SSS just popped into my head while I had writer's block. It was totally unplanned for. But I wrote in anyway, coz you know, I had to write SOMETHING. Though I had some trouble on Kiyomi. So anyway, sorry if it doesn't entirely make sense. And if you have some questions about this I don't blame you. It's normal during cliff hangers after all. But ask away and I'll try to answer them in the next chapter. Please be patient with me.**

**Oh, and one of you guys said that I made Lucy look cheap. I did not intend to do that. She forgave Natsu easily because she didn't think he was the one at fault in the first place. And that master thing, I actually came up with it while having writer's block as well, like this one with the SSS. But I guess I can't blame you guys for having negative thoughts. But please remember, this story may have reached 27 chapters, but I'm still new in the writing business. I've still got ways to go.**

**Anyway, Pleas review ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**


	28. A Job to Finish

**Here it is, everybody. Chapter 28 with 3,020 words. **

**I am actually proud of myself right now, because I made it so far. I mean, 28 chapters is no joke. And I realized some time ago that; I've come this far. Why stop now? I mean, I can't just let all those times spent daydreaming this fic go to waste, can I? So, here's a new chapter.**

**Okay, to tell you the truth I don't think this chapter's so great though. At the end, it repeats what happened in the middle. No spoilers in that. And also, so sorry about that. It's just that I wanted this chapter to have at least 3,000 words, but I also wanted to save some other scenes for later chapters.**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy!**

* * *

The atmosphere around them tensed and darkened, pure killing intent was emitting from their bodies as they glared at King Cedric, whom they've been loyally serving for all these years. Their hands were twitching with the need to rip something to shreds, and that something may soon be His Highness.

"H-how . . ." His Highness was definitely in shock. "How did you know? A-and since when . . ?"

He had made that sort of information absolutely classified, especially after he had hired them. In fact, he got rid of everyone who knew about it. All the soldiers, scientists, even the simple servants weren't able to escape him. Anyone who knew even a little bit of information about that sort of thing was either executed or sent to a dungeon at the other side of the country, depending on how much they knew. The only ones that knew for now was him and the Prince.

"Well, we'll have to thank a certain resourceful little princess with that." Kazuki smirked as King Cedric's eyes widened in shock.

In the short period of time that Lucy has been in the castle, they've known that she was definitely a bookworm. And so she had always spent most of her time in the libraries, with the SSS accompanying her. They had also learned that she was rather curious, to the point that she can be described as nosy, going through things they knew that weren't supposed to be seen by anyone. But alas, they couldn't stop her, and it's a good thing they couldn't.

And during those times, she had stumbled across those pieces of information about them. She found them at a hidden compartment at the library that seemed like it hasn't been touched for years. At first, she had thought nothing about them after reading them. It barely mentioned any names, only cities and a couple of people she didn't know. But she later realized that it had actually contained information about the SSS.

This was revealed only after the SSS had defeated the mages of Fiore. At that time, they revealed their pasts to Adora. And Lucy, being the smart little girl she was, remembered all the information she received from the castle's large library. She was the one who immediately figure out that King Cedric was the one behind all their pain and suffering.

FLASHBACK

_The SSS was frozen and speechless at the sudden revelation. The atmosphere was tense and Adora could only sit there, head bowed down, looking guilty even though she didn't really do anything wrong._

_"G-guys . . ." she said. "I-I'm sorry."_

_She was greeted with silence for a few moments, until Kiyomi went up to her and patted her head._

_"You didn't do anything wrong, Adora-chan." she said, before pulling the small girl into an embrace. "And we're grateful to you for telling us the truth."_

_Adora gave them a small smile, and they all did the same. Hyosuke, of course, was still unconscious and had found out about this a few days later._

_"So . . ." the young girl started, still not looking at any of them in the eye. "What now?"_

_Silence._

_"We do nothing." Addei said, making the girl's head snap up._

_"What?"_

_"What can we do?" Addei sighed. "Leave? Escape? Get revenge? Doing something like that is next to impossible."_

_"But . . ." Adora's eyes were filled with great sadness._

_"Leaving isn't an option either." Kazuki said. "We're bound to this castle; trapped in it the moment we accepted to be a part of the SSS."_

_"The only way we can leave this place is if either the king or the prince grants us permission." Aeschylus muttered._

_"Other than that, despite us being the king's so-called body guards, the Prince is much stronger than we are. Who knows what will happen if we let them know that we found out the truth." Galan added._

_"But . . ." Adora looked down. "You can't possibly just leave it like this."_

_"Adora-chan, we have no choice." Kiyomi said. "It's probably better this way."_

_"No it's not!" the girl yelled, shocking them at her sudden outburst. "We can't just let them get away after everything they've done! It's - it's just not right! You guys have been through so much because of them!"_

_"Adora-chan . . ." Kiyomi sighed. "We-"_

_"Lucy . . ." Addei said as she squatted down to look at the younger girl in the eye. She had a soft and warm look that contradicts her usual self. "It's true that our pasts had been tough. But any of that couldn't possibly compare to the happiness we feel right now, knowing that this whole time, there was somebody out there who actually cared about us."_

_"Yeah." Mia said and came up to embrace Adora. "Thanks, Adora-chan. Thank you for opening our eyes to the truth."_

_The girl was silent for a moment before smiling sadly at them. "Okay . . . you're welcome."_

FLASHBACK END

They had managed to convince Adora, but they all knew damned well that was all a lie. No matter how much they tried to convince themselves, it won't work. Well, yeah they were all incredibly happy knowing the fact that someone had actually loved them. But it was short-lived since it was immediately replaced with anger and hatred. They yearned for revenge. They all wanted to kill the one that caused them so much pain, and make his death as slow and as painful as possible.

But what could they do? They had said it themselves; it was impossible. Well sure the king was weak and dying, but the Prince could defeat them in a flash. It didn't help that the Prince had stayed by the king's side most of the time ever since Adora had arrived, since they were always busy planning for the invasion on Fiore. They'd probably be killed way before they even got the chance to lay a finger on his Highness. So they did the only thing they could do. The only thing they've been doing for all these years; endure. They continued to be strong for each other's sake.

But all that ends here.

They were all given this opportunity. An opportunity to take revenge and let all their anger out on the man who caused it. And there was no way in hell they were passing up on that opportunity. Besides, as demonstrated by the one and only Lucy Heartphilia, it was unhealthy to just bottle up your emotions. That thought alone made Artemis smirk.

Sometimes, it was necessary to just let it all out. 'cause, _damn_ it'll feel so good.

Their eyes glowed, the ground shook, their fangs grew and their bodies started emitting a great amount of magical power. They continued to glare at the old man in front of them as they all prepared to use black magic nobody ever knew they possessed.

Then in unison, they all spoke with a cold and harsh tone that would make anyone tremble in fear.

"_Die_."

Meanwhile, Artemis was smirking as she stood behind Aeschylus, making sure that Lucy didn't see- or hear- any of this happening. Truth be told Aeschylus wasn't using any of her magical power as of this moment. He was using his own. His anger and hatred fueled him to the point that he became unimaginably strong. And he was much too far gone in his hatred, like the rest of them, to even realize this.

'_Heh, who knew the kid had it in him?_' Artemis thought about her counterpart, making sure Lucy didn't hear her.

She had been with Galan and Aeschylus for most of their lives. And as for the other SSS members, she had been there for at least half of theirs. And never had she seen them in this sort of state; seething with anger, seeking destruction, yearning for blood and wanting death to be caused with their very own hands. She almost felt proud.

Such great strength, horrible pasts, and a personality that can only be described as sadistic and merciless. This . . .

Was the true face of the Seven Sinful Souls.

'_His Highness is about to get his royal ass kicked_.' Artemis said before laughing sadistically.

* * *

The ceiling started shaking, making Team A raise their guard.

"What was that?" Laxus asked.

"It probably was just one of the others. Don't worry, they can handle it." Gajeel said.

"That kind of thinking is way too carefree." Erza said. "Our job is done here. So let's go check that out."

"Oh really?" someone asked, making them all freeze in shock. "You all seem to be a bit too self confident."

"Wh-What . . ?" Sting asked.

"Impossible!" Jura blurted.

"No way . . ." Erza turned around and her eyes widened as she saw Hidenori standing proudly without any visible injuries. In fact, the only damage they could see on him was on his clothes that were slightly torn. But other than that, nothing.

"Is that honestly the best you can do?" he asked mockingly. "How disappointing . . ."

"How . . ?" Laxus asked.

"He took on all of us, but he still . . ." Natsu trailed off, his eyes widening.

Hidenori just scoffed. "Well then, if you'll excuse me I have other matters to attend to. And with all of you wandering around, it'll cause quite the trouble."

Then he stretched his arm out, pointing his palm at the group and a large purple magic circle suddenly appeared right in front of him. "So won't you all just disappear?"

Erza, Laxus and Jura's eyes widened. They recognized this spell all too well, there was no mistaking this one with any other. And they knew if they got hit by his attack, it would be Game Over.

So instinctively, Erza grabbed Natsu and Gajeel's hands and started running away as fast as she could with Laxus and Jura in tow. Sting soon followed when he realized what was going on.

"Hey! Erza! What are you doing?" Natsu asked in a mixture of disbelief and anger. He couldn't believe it, was the mighty titania actually running away from a battle?

"It's no use, Natsu!" Erza's voice was shaky. "He's just way too strong! We've got to get out of here before-"

"Too late." Hidenori smirked with a sadistic look on his face before he activated the spell.

* * *

A blast wave generated through the hallways and throughout the forest surrounding the castle, followed by a mini earthquake and creating quite a great amount of damage. This made everyone stop whatever it was that they were doing for a moment. Everyone from the outside was looking at the great castle as a part of it started crumbling to pieces while everyone inside could only look around frantically, wondering what was going on.

The combined forces of the SSS and the Prince's attack almost destroyed half of the castle. The sky became darker than usual, the scent of death stronger than ever, and you could almost feel the dark atmosphere surrounding the castle. The Visna castle that once stood proudly now looked like ruins, seeming as if it had been abandoned for years.

Many soldiers working on the outside ran to see what was going on, but instead they found a barrier that prevents thim from entering the castle grounds. And even the smartest and most powerful men they had couldn't break that barrier.

* * *

"Wh-what?" Shelia asked, slightly panicking. "Wh-What's going on?"

Minerva looked up from beating up a guard who she was holding onto by the collar.

"Could this be . . ?" she wondered out loud.

"Th-the others?" Shelia asked. "Could they be fighting the prince right now? Do you think they're okay?"

Minerva could only remain silent.

"I don't know." she said in a hushed tone.

"Wh-what?" the younger girl asked in disbelief.

"Look, it was their job to beat that son of a bitch, okay! You saw how fucking persistent they were! You saw how much they wanted to fight him. So it's their own goddamned fault if they get into some deep shit! Right now we can just assume that there's a heated battle going on somewhere in this place. But that doesn't matter, because we have our own job to do." Minerva snapped at the younger girl, making Shelia look at her. Fear was slightly visible in her eyes. "Now come on! We don't have all night."

Shelia could only nod and follow the woman with her head bowed and a slightly worried expression. But she tried her best to convince herself that they were all okay. She remembered their persistence from the Grand Magic Games, and she knew that there's no way that they were going to be defeated that easily. Especially the mages of Fairy Tail.

* * *

"O-oi! What the- ?" Orga said, frantically looking around as he balance himself against the wall while the ground shook.

"The others must be battling the Prince right now." Rogue said, frowning slightly.

"Damn, it must be one hell of a battle if it gave this much of an impact, huh?" Orga said, but his words fell deaf in the shadow dragon slayer's ears as his thoughts were elsewhere, mostly concerning his partner.

'_I wonder if Sting's going to be okay . . ?_' Rogue thought. '_And I'm really worried about Frosch and Lector, too. I haven't seen them since we first got to this palace_.'

He looked through the dark hallways as his brows furrowed.

'_Please be safe . . ._'

". . ge . . ."

". . ogue . . ."

"Oi! ROGUE!" the man snapped out of his thoughts to look at his guild mate.

"Yes?"

"C'mon, let's go. We're wasting time. I mean after all, we've got our own problems." Orga said before walking off.

"Ah, that's right." he said before following the taller man.

'_I need to focus._' Rogue thought. '_We have our own job to accomplish and they have theirs. I can only hope that they'll be fine for now._'

* * *

"Wah!" Happy cried as he held onto the bars of his cage. "Wh-what's going on?"

"It sure is noisy out there." Charle grumbled.

"Yeah, but this kind of ruckus can't be considered normal even for a place like this." Lector said. "Sting-kun and the others must be fighting out there to save us!"

"Fro agrees!" Frosch said. "Fro trusts that Rogue-kun will come and save us!"

"Well, that may be the case but it seems like they're having quite a hard time out there." Lily said.

The exceeds were currently trapped at the castle's kitchen. Each of them were locked inside a bird cage, which by the way, adds insult to injury. I mean, a bird cage? Really?

"I wonder if Natsu's okay . . ." Happy said, his ears dropping. "And Lucy . . ."

Happy had informed the other exceeds of the information Kazuki had given him some time ago. Of course, they hadn't believed him at first. But then Kazuki had come to confirm it himself while giving them food.

"Natsu is very stubborn and strong-willed, he'll be okay. And rest assured, if Lucy's out there somewhere, he'll definitely make sure that she'll come back home with us." Charle said.

"If we come back home at all." Lily muttered.

"Lily!" Charle cried.

"Don't say that! Sting-kun and the others will definitely accomplish this mission, then he'll come and save us!" Lector said, angered at the fellow exceed.

"Fro thinks so too!"

"Yeah, and Natsu will also come to save us!" Happy said, confident.

"Rogue will be here too!" Frosch said.

* * *

"Wha!" Wendy and the others each clung onto something as if their lives depended on it, which it practically did right now. Just because they were in the air, on Christina, it doesn't mean that they wont be affected by the blast wave.

"W-Wendy!" Lisanna called out in concern as she got up and ran to the younger girl to check if she's hurt. "Are you ok?"

"Y-yeah . . ." Wendy nodded, slowly getting up.

"What in the world was that?" Hibiki wondered out loud.

"It was obviously caused by the others." Jenny said.

"But something like that . . ." Yukino muttered. "Are they even capable of something as great as that?"

This caught everyone's attention and they looked at her with a shocked look as if asking what she meant, making the celestial mage regret her words.

"Are you saying that . . ?" Jenny asked.

"She's right." Loke said appearing behind his new and temporary master. "There's no doubt about it. There dealing with an incredibly strong opponent in there."

Their expressions became serious at his words and this caused silence to engulf them.

"I agree." Capricorn said, breaking the ice. "But for now, we can only pray for their safety."

"Wh-what? Aren't we going to do something about everyone inside?" Sherry asked, a bit outraged.

"We can't do anything." Loke said. "I mean, after all, they did set a barrier around it that makes it impossible for anyone to enter those grounds."

"So we're useless for now." Lyon sighed.

"Of course not." Capricorn said. "You must all trust in your allies that are currently inside those grounds. Because right now, you've all been given a task and they are currently trusting all of you to accomplish it."

"Yeah!" Loke grinned. "And we wouldn't want to let them down now, would we?"

Their words were enough for the whole team to be inspired and regain their confidence. They all glanced at each other with knowing glances, smiling in comfort at each other. They had faith in their allies, and they trusted each other to help on bringing each one of them back home alive.

"Alright, men~!" Ichiya cried. "Let's go!"

* * *

**Well, I'll try to update sooner.**

**Random fact; for all couples who are both fairy tail fans, not to mention nalu fans, wouldn't a great way to propose is to cosplay? I mean the guy cosplays as Natsu and the girl cosplays as Lucy. Then the guy bwill propose just like that. It's like hitting two birds with one stone. And that would be amazing to watch.**

**No reason for sharing this, I just thought I had to write something in the A/N and decided to just share this thought. Tell me what you think.**

**Anyway, Please review ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**


	29. Plans

**Chapter 29 with 3,909 words not including A/N! This chapter doesn't really have much, it's more on the SSS and their plans for the future.**

**Well, hope you enjoy!**

* * *

_"Hey, hey Adora." Artemis called out._

_"Huh? Artemis?"_

_"Yeah, it's me.__"_

_"What is it?"_

_"C'mon, we're done here. Time to come back to the real world."_

_"Okay . . . I got it."_

Lucy closed her eyes for a while. She felt slightly dizzy for a moment and when it stopped she opened her eyes. She was greeted with the sight of her seven friends, smiling at her. But their eyes held a different emotion. Lucy just wasn't sure if it was sadness or something completely different. They were standing near the corner of the hallways, but Lucy didn't think much of it.

"Let's go, Adora-chan." Kiyomi motioned for her to come as they walked down the halls.

"Our job here is over, so we better go and find your friends." Hyosuke said, and Lucy decided not to question about the 'job' any further.

Addei and Kazuki stood next to each other as they watched the group walk away for a moment. They were both standing at the corner, leaning against the wall. Before they followed after them, the two spared a glance at the other side of the hallway, where the staircase was located and at the foot of it was the dead body of the king of Visna; King Cedric. Luckily, they managed to keep him away from Lucy's sight, because it wasn't a pretty one. A pool of blood surrounded his lifeless body, his skin was incredibly pale as if all his blood was sucked right out of him, and his eyes were wide open revealing pitch black eyeballs. The SSS had shown no mercy.

"Long live the King." Addei muttered with a mocking tone, and Kazuki could only smirk before they followed the others.

* * *

"Alright, we must quickly regroup with Ado- I mean, Lucy's allies, ASAP. As of now, time is a luxury we can't afford, and therefore I think the best course of action to take right now is to divide ourselves into groups of our own so we can cover more ground." Addei said, returning to her usual dominant self and taking charge.

The others were silent for a moment as they stared at her for a moment, most of them were frowning. Lucy could only looking at them, confused at their reaction. Addei stood there and stared back at them for a moment before realization hit her and she resisted the urge to facepalm.

"We need to split up." she clarified.

"Ah." they nodded, understanding what she meant. Addei rolled her eyes at their stupidity before diving everyone into groups of two.

**Here are the teams :**

_Addei & Lucy_

_Kiyomi & Mia_

_Galan & Aeschylus + Artemis_

_Hyosuke & Kazuki_

"Alright, let's go." Addei said. "If one of you finds the others, one of you should just create a distraction while the other calls for help. When any of us hears something, run right to the cause of the sound. But only call for help if it's the guys who are fighting off the prince. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am!" they nodded.

"Good. Let's move!"

* * *

Addei and Lucy wandered down the halls of the castle. They noticed the slight damage around, like the torn wallpaper, the scratches on the wall and a few broken things like vases, paintings and even windows, but they didn't think much about it.

The two of them didn't really talk, but after a few moments of silence, it got awkward. So Lucy decided to say something to make a conversation at least.

"So, Addei-san, what do you plan on doing after all of this is over?"

The older woman blinked. "Pardon?"

"Well, after we defeat the prince then it'll all be over." Lucy explained. "So what do you plan to do once you get out of this place? I mean, you must have some kind of plan, right?"

"Not really . . ." Addei muttered.

"Huh?"

"I've never even thought about life outside these walls . . ." Addei said. "Most of my life has been devoted to serving the lords of this castle."

"Eh? Well that's no good." Lucy sighed. "You should at least have a plan on what to do after all of this is over."

"You talk as if you already know that we're going to win."

"We are!" Lucy practically yelled, startling Addei a bit. "I know my friends! They me be idiots and they may have mistreated me before, but if I know anything about those guys it's that they're incredibly stubborn! I won't say that there's no way their going down without a fight, because they're not going down at all!"

"Wow . . . you really believe in them, don't you?"

"Of course I do!" Addei giggled at the younger girl's antics. "Look, they've had experienced fighting a lot of fights, and they have never lost any of it."

Addei listened to her silently and only spared her a glance when the blonde paused for a moment to think.

"Well, other than the ones the had with each other that is, all the guild brawls and whatnot." Lucy muttered. "And I guess a couple of times on other people too."

Addei chuckled at this. "And your point is . . ?"

"Huh? Oh, that's right. Well, the point is . . . I believe in them. They've had a lot of fights in the past few years, and I just know that there is no way they're going to lose this one." Lucy smiled, and Addei found it very contagious.

"You could have just said that from the start." Addei sighed teasingly.

"W-well it would've just sounded weird if I just blurted it out just like that!" Lucy defended herself, blushing in embarrassment. Addei resisted the urge to laugh.

"Anyway, back to the topic. You can't just wander around aimlessly, you know. I mean, after all of this is over, you'll be free from all this castle's restraints! You can do whatever you want!" Lucy said, sounding excited. "As long as it's legal, that is."

Addei playfully punched the celestial wizard on the shoulder.

"I know that already. I don't want to get in trouble after what I've done here in this country."

"I know . . ." Lucy sighed, looking a bit doubtful but Addei knew she was just teasing her. "Look, what I'm trying to say is that you need to have dreams. I girl's gotta have goals. You need something to motivate you while you continue to live on."

Addei fell silent once again as she spoke, and then Lucy got an idea.

"You can always join my guild." Lucy smiled at her, and Addei looked at her as if she was crazy. "Oh, c'mon! It'll be fun! I mean, sure you've done a lot of bad things in the past, but it's still not too late to start over."

Addei glanced at her companion before thinking deeply about it. She looked really hesitant and slightly nervous.

"I don't know, Lucy." Addei sighed. "I mean, I tried to kill you friend, Erza."

"Yeah, but if you hadn't helped us, we'd all be dead anyway." Lucy reasoned out. "C'mon Addei-san, what do you have to lose?"

Silence.

"I'll . . . think about it, I guess." she replied.

Lucy sighed. ". . . okay, I guess this is a pretty big decision to make, after all."

"Yeah . . ." Addei looked downwards, frowning a bit. "But you know . . . there is one thing I plan to do."

This caught Lucy's attention and it was her turn to listen silently.

"It's nothing specific really. I just . . . well, it's like you said. I want to turn over a new leaf, or something. You know, do something nice for a change. But not like those simple things, I want to do something big. Something that'll change a person's perspective of me completely even after knowing about my past."

"Wow, that sounds like a good plan. But what is it exactly?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know that yet." Addei sighed. "But don't worry, I'm sure I'll figure it out soon."

"Yeah, I'm sure you will." Lucy smiled at her. "And I know that whatever it is, you'll be able to do it. I believe in you, Addei-san. And you should believe in yourself too."

"Addei smiled back at her. "Yeah . . . thanks."

* * *

"Hey, Ki-chan."

"Yeah? What is it, Mi-chan?"

"Do you like Hyosuke-kun?" Kiyomi almost tripped on her own feet as Mia asked that, the older woman looked at the blonde with wide eyes and a visible blush on her face.

"Wh-what?"

"I asked if you have feelings for the Wrathful Soul of the SSS." Mia said, looking annoyed at the lack of answer.

"Wh-what's this all of a sudden?" Kiyomi asked, her face turning as red as a tomato.

"Well, thinking back about all those times you spent with him, I noticed that you kinda acted a bit weird." Mia said,

"W-weird? H-how could you say that? I act the same way around him as I do when I'm with the others." Kiyomi crossed her arms and looked away from her companion in an attempt to hide her blushing face. Mia seem not to notice, or at least she's pretending not to. Right now, Mia was just looking at Kiyomi with suspicion and slight amusement.

"Well, you two seem really close."

"W-well so do you and Aeschylus. But you don't like him, do you?" Kiyomi defended herself.

"Well, that's true." Mia rubbed her chin with her finger and closed her eyes, as if deep in thought. "But I don't really act shyly towards Aeschylus, do I?"

"I-I don't act shyly towards Hyosuke!" Kiyomi cried.

"And I also don't blush and stutter when someone accuses me of having feelings for Aeschylus."

"I-I'm not s-stuttering and I'm d-_definitely_ not b-blushing!"

"If you have the nerve to deny that, then I think you should really consult a dictionary." Mia dead panned. "Look , we're both girls here. There's no one around to hear us, so it's safe to tell me right now if violent guys are your type."

"Violent guys aren't my type!" Kiyomi cried out without thinking.

"Oh, so you don't like him?" Mia asked, and Kiyomi paused to think for a moment.

"I . . ."

"You hesitated. You definitely like him." Mia stated.

"M-Mi-chan!"

"Don't worry, Ki-chan, I won't tell anyone about this. And I totally approve of your relationship." Mia grinned and gave her friend a thumbs up.

"That's not the point!" Kiyomi cried once again.

"You're too loud, keep your voice down or we'll attract some attention." Mia said, smirking. Kiyomi whimpered and even trembled a bit. But then she let out a sigh of defeat.

"Fine, I admit it." she muttered. "I may or may not have feelings for Hyosuke-kun."

"Oh my God, you're totally in love with him." Mia concluded quickly.

"D-don't just jump into conclusions like that!" Kiyomi blushed once again. "I said; '_may or may not_'!"

Mia raised an eyebrow at her friend and crossed her arms. "Oh really? And how long have you had a _feeling_ that you had feelings for him?"

". . . a while." Kiyomi shrugged.

"_How_ long?" Mia asked in a stern tone, and Kiyomi felt as if she was being interrogated for doing some kind of crime.

"Well . . . it _may_ have already been a couple of years."

"_A couple of years_?" Mia asked trying to keep on a straight face, but her voice revealed it anyway.

"Yeah." Kiyomi muttered, avoiding eye contact and she also started walking faster.

"Kiyomi you've been an SSS member since you were 18, right?"

"Yeah."

"And right now, you're 24 years old, right?"

"Yeah."

"So you've been here for_ a couple of years_, right?" Kiyomi was silent, she didn't answer her question which only got Mia a bit suspicious. And then she got a wild idea which almost got her laughing.

"Oh my God, Kiyomi! Did you experience love at first sight with Hyosuke?" Mia asked in a mixture of amusement and disbelief. Kiyomi's silence, only confirmed her suspicions. Mia couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Hey! D-don't you make fun of me!" Kiyomi yelled, she was tempted to kill her companion right now.

"I'm . . I'm sorry! It's just that . . . who would've known?"

"Well . . . I'm not even sure if I really like him." Kiyomi groaned.

"You know, I read a book that says that a crush lasts only for around six months. If it goes beyond that, then it's already true love." Mia said. "Girl, you've had feelings for him for the past _six years_! If that's not love, then I don't know what is."

"Well . . . fine!" she sighed. "So I love him, what now?"

"Tell him, that's what."

"No!" Kiyomi yelled, startling Mia a bit. "I mean, with everything that's happening I don't think know will be a good time to tell him about it."

"Okay." Mia shrugged. "Well then, you'll tell him once this is all over."

"What?" Kiyomi asked in disbelief. "I-I can't do that!"

"Why not?"

"Because!"

"You should really stop saying that and start giving people an actual reason." Mia sighed. "Look, after this is all over, we won't be serving the prince anymore. Which means that we're no longer prisoners and that we're free. So once we're free, it's important to have plans. What are we going to do once we get out of this place?"

"Well . . . what are _you_ going to do?" Kiyomi asked.

"Me?" Mia thought for a moment. "Well, I definitely want to be with Adora-chan."

"You're going to join her guild?" Kiyomi asked, interested in Mia's plan.

"Maybe. I don't know yet." Mia shrugged. "But there is one thing I _do_ know."

"And that is . . ?"

Mia smiled, mostly to herself. "I want to make sure that Lucy becomes happy. That's my goal."

Kiyomi couldn't help but smile at her words, and it made her think for a moment.

"So . . . as long as Lucy's happy, you're happy? Nothing else matters?"

"Yep, that's right!" Mia grinned, and her companion paused for a moment to think about something.

". . . alright, I'll do it."

Mia blinked. "Huh?"

"Once this is all over, I'll confess to Hyosuke-kun!" Kiyomi cheered.

"Eh? What's with this all of a sudden?" the younger girl frowned, a bit confused.

"Well, I guess you're right after all." Kiyomi shrugged. "So after this is all over, you'll go and make Lucy happy and I'll confess to Hyosuke-kun!"

'It's good to see that she's not afraid of rejection . . .' Mia thought.

"Okay, it's a deal." Mia grinned.

* * *

"_Well, this is absolutely boring."_ Artemis grumbled.

"The whole castle's deserted . . ." Aeschylus muttered.

"_So . . . what's the plan again?_"

"We find the others, help them out then defeat the prince." Galan said.

"And then what?"

"We win, everybody goes home happy." Galan answered.

"Yeah . . . and then what?" the two men turned to the shadow with confused looks.

"_What? All I'm saying is that we serve the royal family, right? And our job right now is to defeat the royal family. So then afterwards, we won't really have someone to serve. So what then? Any plans?_" Artemis asked.

"Never thought of that before." Galan mumbled.

"_Do you brats have any goals or something? A dream of some sort?_"

"Not really . . ." Aeschylus sighed.

"_Well then, think of something right now._" Artemis said, and they immediately took her advice.

It was silent for a couple of minutes until Galan finally spoke.

"I want to do something great without really doing anything at all."

Artemis face palmed. "Idiot_. That doesn't even make any sense!_"

"It's only a dream, isn't it? So it's fine." Galan said, and Artemis only sighed and decided not to argue with him any further.

"_Well, how about you Aeschylus?_"

Said man was silent and thought about it for a moment before finally making up his mind.

"I want to do something that'll make me proud of myself. " he said with a determined look. "And it has to be something that'll make even you proud of me!"

"_Ooh, now_ that's_ a dream!_" Artemis smirked. "_I've never seen you like this before. Looks like you're growing up. But it'll be a little tough to do it._"

"I can do it!" Aeschylus said before he started sulking once again. "I hope . . ."

"You can do it, Aeschylus." Galan stated lazily.

"_Well . . . good luck to the both of you, I guess._" Artemis sighed at their hopelessness.

* * *

"Man! I am _so_ bored!" Hyosuke complained. "Where the hell is everybody, anyway? It's like we're in a haunted house, or something."

"I know . . ." Kazuki muttered. Hyosuke continued to complain about several other things, but his words fell deaf on his companion's ears as he was too deep in his own thoughts. It was only a matter of time before Hyosuke noticed this.

"Hey, Kazuki, what's up?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing."

"You look as if something's bugging you, man. Seriously, what's up?" Hyosuke asked getting really concerned. It wasn't like Kazuki to be like this. He was usually cheerful and confident, not silent and depressed.

Kazuki sighed. "Well, I was just thinking about Dragneel."

"That Natsu guy? What about him?"

"Well, it's just that . . . I still don't like him."

"Didn't you say that you've started to like him before?"

"I said I started to hate him less!" Kazuki clarified. "Anyway, the more I think about it, the more it pisses me off. I really think that it's stupid for Lucy forgave him so easily. Seriously, after everything that guy made her go through? She just forgave him as if it's no big deal."

"Well, Lucy's a nice girl. And anyway, didn't she say that most of the things happening to her right now is her fault, meaning that she's blaming herself and not Natsu for all of this?" Hyosuke answered.

"But still!" Kazuki groaned in frustration and tried to let all of his anger out. "Lucy is a nice girl, and yet that bastard still broke her heart and made her suffer. He deserves to rot in hell."

It was Hyosuke's turn to listen to his companion in silence, but unlike Kazuki, he was actually listening. And he slowly tried to piece together what made the man so frustrated.

"Lucy's a nice, smart and beautiful girl and she can do better than that violent, short-tempered, excuse for a human being. Lucy_ deserves_ better than him!" Kazuki said, and that's when realization hit Hyosuke like a pile of bricks. He turned to his companion with shock written all over his face, and Kazuki could only look back at him, confused.

"What?" he asked.

"Oh my God . . ." Hyosuk shook his head and rubbed his temples.

"What? What is it?"

"You!"

"Me?" Kazuki pointed at himself, still confused.

"You like her, don't you?" Hyosuke accused, knowing what the answer was and right now he was trying hard not to laugh.

"What?" Kazuki asked in disbelief. He then realized that his companion was referring to Lucy and he couldn't help but blush. "Wha- what are you talking about!"

"You do! You totally like her!" Hyosuke burst out in laughter. "Oh my fucking God! I can not believe this!"

"Sh-shut up!" Kazuki yelled, blushing in embarrassment. "I-I didn't say that!"

"Oh, but you're not denying it?"

"Shut up!"

"Oh my God, you're not! That totally proves it!" Hyosuke burst out in laughter once again.

"Hey, shut up! I'm not the only one around here who likes someone! You're into Kiyomi, aren't you?" Kazuki yelled, making the other man stop laughing and look at him in shock.

"Wh-who the hell told you that!" Hyosuke yelled, panicking a bit. Kazuki sweat dropped.

"Well . . . it was kind of obvious. You always try to show off around her, you almost killed a few soldiers one time when they whistled at her, and you always like to spend some time with her."

"I DO NOT!"

"Deny it all you want, you're just as into her as I am into Lucy." Kazuki scoffed.

Hyosuke silently stared at him for a moment with wide eyes before a wide smirk appeared in his face.

"You just admitted it!"

Kazuki blinked. "Huh?"

"You just admitted that you've got feelings for Lucy!"

"Wha-?" Kazuki blushed and almost face palmed at his own stupidity. "I-I . . !"

"Well, in any case, I guess you're right. We both like someone, but you're kind of in a disadvantage, aren't you?" Hyosuke said, turning a bit serious.

"Huh?" Hyosuke sighed at his friend's denseness.

"Lucy likes someone else, while Kiyomi doesn't seem to have anyone in her life right now." he explained. "We're not really on the same boat here."

Kazuki frowned and bowed his head a bit. He really couldn't deny that what his companion had said was true, but what else could he do?

"I know that . . . it's just . . ." he sighed. "I just want her to be happy."

Hyosuke stared at him, feeling a bit sympathy as he tried to figure out the right words to say.

"Well, staying by her side isn't really going to help with your situation, is it?" he sighed.

"Yeah . . . I guess you're right." Kazuki muttered. "That's why I've decided that once all this is over, I'll leave."

"To where?"

"I don't know. Anywhere is fine, I guess." he shrugged. Hyosuke stared at him for a couple more moments before sighing,

"Well, if you ask me, I think you should confess to her before you do."

"Say what?" Kazuki turned to look at him as if he was crazy.

"Well, it just doesn't seem right to leave her under the shadows. I think you should tell her how you feel." Hyosuke explained. "I mean, you already know what her answer's going to be so what do you have to lose?"

"That should be the reason why I shouldn't do it." Kazuki muttered before sighing. "But alright, I'll do it."

"Great!" his companion grinned.

"But on one condition!"

"Huh?" Hyosuke looked at him, slightly confused and interested.

"You should confess to Kiyomi first before I do!" Kazuki grinned.

"WHAT? Man, that's just playing dirty!"

"Those are my conditions, do you accept?"

"Dude, seriously . . ."

"I'm serious about this, Hyosuke."

The red haired mage sighed. "Fine, I'll do it right after all this is over."

"Okay. The sooner, the better." Kazuki smiled, although he wasn't really that excited for the events to happen.

He already knew how this will turn out . . .

* * *

**I don't know if you guys saw that coming but hey, I did leave a few hints in the past few chapters. I just don't know if you spotted it.**

**Anyway, I'm thinking of doing another story, it's kind of an OVA as to what happened in the past month before the guys from Fiore arrived at Visna. It's all about Adora and the SSS. Tell me what you guys think about it.**

**Anyway, Please review ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**


	30. Sebastian fights!

**I'm sorry it took a while! Chapter 30 here with 3,134 words exactly, not including A/N!**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Erza groaned in pain as she tried to get back up in her feet, only to fall back down to the ground. Her entire body felt really numb, her head ached, and it took a lot of effort to move even a bit. She could hear her comrades right beside her, obviously in pain as well. She could barely move and she just wanted to rest. She wasn't able to think straight and was slowly losing consciousness, until she heard someone laugh.

Erza's eyes snapped back open and she finally remembered their current situation. She snapped her head back up, immediately regretting it as she felt a wave of pain penetrated to through her whole being making her wince and she almost made her cry out.

"E-Erza . . ?" she looked to see Natsu and the others also struggling to get back up. They all looked like they were in the same situation as she is; hurt and barely able to move.

"Is everyone alright?" she asked, not knowing what else to say. But she also felt stupid since the answer to that was pretty obvious.

"Not for long." Erza looked up to see their opponent smirking at them, obviously enjoying the pain they were experiencing right now. Erza glared at him, but it only made him laugh even more.

"Dammit . . ." she muttered. How could someone cast a spell as strong as that and not even look the least bit tired? Exactly how strong was this guy? They obviously didn't stand a chance, but they can't give up now.

"Well then, it seems my work here is done." Hidenori smirked and turned around. "I'm awfully busy, so please don't bother me anymore. You should know by now that you can't win against me."

He looked outside through the window and saw the moon, then he turned to a nearby grandfather clock to check the time.

"10:50." he muttered to himself. "We have a little over an hour left before midnight arrives. That just about gives me enough time to look for my wife and see to it that the preparations have been completed."

He hadn't walked away so far from them yet just as Erza managed to stand back up.

"Is everyone alright?" she repeated her question from before, concerned. Hidenori stopped, but he didn't turn to face them. His eyes rolled to one side of his head and narrowed, he just quietly listened to them, wondering if he had to deal with them or not.

"I think so." Gajeel grumbled.

"I'm _alive_ at least." Laxus said.

"We should be grateful for that, at least." Jura told him.

"Damn . . ." Natsu muttered, he tried to stand up just like the rest of them. "Oi! This fight's not over yet! Come back here!"

"Natsu!" Erza yelled at him.

Hidenori sighed. "How annoying . . . At this rate, I'm going to be late for the ceremony."

"Hey! I was talking to you, you bastard!" Natsu yelled.

"Natsu, that's enough." Erza said through gritted teeth.

"I can't afford to be late, you know. What kind of groom is late for his own wedding?" he smirked, speaking in a mocking tone. He was purposely trying to make Natsu angry. "Besides, I still have to find my runaway bride."

"Damn you!" Natsu was about to run at him, but he was stopped by Erza.

"Natsu! Hold on!" she said, worried.

"Well, since you fools can't be left alone, I'll just have to get someone to take care of you for me." the prince said, finally turning around to face them before snapping his fingers. This simple gesture created a sound that echoed throughout the hallways of the castle.

* * *

"Eh?" Lucy stopped for a moment and looked around in confusion while Addei did the same. "Did you hear that?"

"I sure did." she nodded.

"I'm not sure what it was, but we should obviously find out where it came from."

"Yeah, right now that's our only lead as to where the others are." Addei nodded.

"It came from that way." Lucy said. "Let's go!"

* * *

"You called, master?" Sebastian appeared behind the group, making them jump.

"Wha- ?"

"I-it's the butler from that time!" Sting said.

"When did he . . ?" Erza's eyes widened.

"Yes, please take care of these troublemakers for me." Hidenori smirked, walking off once again. "And make it quick. I'll still need you help for the ceremony."

"Understood." the butler bowed as his master soon disappeared off into the shadows.

"Oi! Come back here you little-!" Natsu never got to go after him or even finish his sentence. Sebastian kicked him hard on the back, making him slam back to the ground and cough up blood.

"Natsu!" Erza cried, running towards her team mate.

"Back off, you bastard!" Gajeel yelled and charged towards him. Sebastian looked at him with a rather bored expression before blocking his punch with one attack and kicked him on the stomach real hard, making him cough up blood like Natsu. His knees became too weak to even make him stand up. Another kick to the chin caused him to collapse to the floor, unconscious due to the hard blows and the damage from Hidenori's attack from earlier.

"How annoying . . ." the butler muttered.

"Gajeel!" Erza yelled. Natsu who was resting on her lap struggled to stand up once again, but failed and winced in pain which caught Erza's attention. "Natsu, don't move. You're much too hurt to fight."

"Dammit . . ." he muttered.

"It would have been better if all of you had only given up." Sebastian told them, his voice was void of any emotion. And in a blink of an eye, he was standing behind Jura and Laxus. The two men turned around, sensing him. Sebastian ran towards him as fast as he could with his arms outstretched and it hit their necks, choking them for a second and sending them down to the ground.

Sebastian then left them there for a while and ran towards Sting and punched him right on the face. The White dragon slayer didn't know what hit him before he slammed against the wall, creating a large crater and almost breaking it.

Erza could only watch them, gritting her teeth in anger. She tried to regain as much magical power as she could before she went on and decided to fight this man, since he looked incredibly powerful. If she were to try and fight with him in her state right now, she would most definitely lose. So she had to think of a plan. And other than that, in her case right now, she could barely stand. Her whole body still felt numb, so she couldn't fight even if she wanted to. But to just sit down and watch your comrades get hurt without being able to do anything felt terrible. Erza cursed herself inwardly for not being strong enough.

Sebastian continued to beat her comrades down, and she had to close her eyes so she wouldn't have to watch them. But she could still hear their cries of pain that made her wince. Her grip on Natsu, who was currently unconscious, tightened as she sat there, completely helpless while listening to her comrades go through so much pain. It soon came to the point when it became dead silent around her. Worry overcame the scarlet haired mage and it took her some time until she finally mustered up the courage to open her eyes.

"Boo."

Erza's eyes widened and she almost jumped when she saw Sebastian, standing right in front of her with his face inches from hers. He then grabbed her neck and lifted her up to the air and choking her.

"You have caused my master a lot of trouble lately." he said. Erza tried with all her might to set herself free, clawing his hands and trying to kick him. But it was futile. She tried to gasp as much air as she could, and at the same time wondered why she couldn't use her magic.

"Perhaps it would have been best if I had only let Pride kill you." he sighed while referring to Addei. "But I suppose that such a thing could easily be fixed. I'll just have to kill you myself."

Sebastian dug his hand through his coat pocket and took out a knife. Erza's eyes widened, and she tried harder to break free, but all her energy disappeared for some reason.

"Well then, farewell, Erza Scarlet." he said.

Erza tried to glare at him, but she had also started trembling in fear of the thought of losing her life so she closed her eyes shut as she waited for the painful blow that would surely end her life.

A few seconds have passed, and she didn't feel anything, so she opened her eyes to see what happened.

Her eyes widened as she saw Addei standing between her and Sebastian. Both of her hands were holding his wrists. One hand was attempting to free her while the other was stopping Sebastian's attack. Addei was currently glaring at the butler, while he just stared back at her, completely emotionless.

"Ah, Pride . . ." he said.

"Sebastian . . ." she hissed.

"Erza! Hang in there!" Lucy cried. Her friend was choking because of Sebastian, but Addei's grip on his wrist managed his grip on her to loosen a bit.

"Although Master had informed me of your betrayal, I never would have thought it to be true." Sebastian spoke, not moving an inch from their position. Soon enough, the rest of the SSS arrived. But they stopped when they saw what was going on. Mostly because they were trying to figure out _what_ was going on.

"Eh? Are you saying you felt doubt on the Prince, your master? Some butler you are." she said in a mocking tone, making a vein popped out of Sebastian's head which rarely, if ever, happens.

"Of course not, it's just hard to believe that you would do such a thing. I had always known you were a foolish woman, but to think that you were this foolish . . ." he said, starting to glare back at Addei while she had a vein popping out of her head.

"Me? Foolish? I just got tired of serving that spoiled son of a bitch so I decided to stop following him. Something wrong with that?" Addei's grip on both of his wrists tightened.

"I see that you have failed to realize the gravity of the situation. And you have the nerve to calling yourself a member of the SSS. The Prideful soul, no less."

"You're one to talk, emo. You call yourself the prince's butler? Ha! Don't make me laugh. I guess butler's these days have reached down to a level as low as yours, huh? I could wipe the floor with you, right here and right now." Addei and Sebastian continued to glare at each other while the others just watched them, sweat dropping. You could literally see lightning between them.

"Erza's dying . . ." Lucy said.

"Addie-chan . . ." Kiyomi muttered.

"I always wondered why she didn't like being around Sebastian. So this was the reason, huh?" Hyosuke sighed. Meanwhile, Aeschylus was focused on something else, which Artemis noticed.

"Oi, what's your problem?"

"Ah, well . . ." Aeschylus lifted a finger and pointed it to where Natsu and the others were. "Are they alright?"

"Natsu!" Lucy cried, running to his side. It seems they've all only noticed them now.

This caught Sebastian's attention, so he acted fast. He pushed Addei out of the way by throwing Erza at her. The two women slammed onto the wall. Erza had long since fainted due to the lack of oxygen, which Addei noticed.

"Ah, sorry. I was too focused with Sebastian that I completely forgotten about you." she said, despite the fact that Erza was unconscious and so she couldn't hear anything she says.

"Princess . . ." Sebastian approached Lucy, who was checking Natsu for any serious wounds. She gasped and turned to the butler, backing away a bit.

"The Prince is surely looking for you right now. I must take you to him immediately." he said, grabbing her arm and making her let out a squeak.

"L-let go of me!"

"Stay away from her, you bastard!" Kazuki yelled, kicking Sebastian. He was caught off guard so he couldn't block the attack and was hit with full force and sent flying to the wall.

Lucy sighed in relief before smiling at the man who saved her. "Thank you, Kazuki-san." Kazuki nodded at her and she turned her attention back to Natsu.

"Natsu? Natsu, pleas wake up! Natsu!" she whispered harshly but worry was still evident in both her voice and her features, she kept shaking him and at the same time being mindful of his injuries.

Kazuki frowned and his eyes narrowed a bit as he watched Lucy. But he immediately turned back to Sebastian, who was standing back up. Luckily, nobody noticed him.

"E-everyone here looks like they're seriously hurt!" Mia said, running towards Sting and checking his injuries. She sighed in relief when she realized none of them were fatal. The two of them were allies now, so she figured that there was no need to hate each other. Right now, they should focus on working together and helping each other out.

"We need to treat him right away." she said, sounding very determined. "Wasn't there a first aid kit in the kitchen? It's not so far from here."

"I'll get it. I'm faster than you, anyway." Galan said, which surprised Mia a little since he actually _volunteered_ to do some work. Before she could say anything, Galan was gone. She sighed and figured that he was right.

"In any case . . . what's Sebastian doing here?" Hyosuke asked.

"Yeah, now that I think about it, I haven't seen him all day." Kiyomi said. "And weren't these guys supposed to be after the Prince? Why are they fighting him?"

"Initially, master had been their opponent. But he needed to attend to more important matters, so he called me to finish them off." Sebastian explained.

"Th-the prince . . ?" Mia's eyes widened. "S-so these injuries were caused by . . ."

"Satan's Wrath." Addei said, her eyes narrowing as she cradled Erza on her lap. "That would explain their inability to fight."

"That spell is form of forbidden magic. When a person gets hit by it, the black magic would enter their first, it would cause their body to go numb, rendering them from movement. And then, after a while, it'll affect the person's magic. The black magic works like a parasite, absorbing the magic power inside the victim until it swells up and explodes. Without treatment, the victim would die." Mia explained.

"Ah, that's right." Kiyomi clapped her hands as she realized something. "The Prince used that same attack on those two over there."

Kiyomi pointed at Laxus and Jura before continuing. "But they didn't die and that was almost a week ago."

"That's because we used special chains on them. The kind that rendered them unable to use magic. It seems that those chains absorbed the black magic within those two, curing them." Addei explained.

"So all we have to do is chain them up again, right?" Kiyomi asked hopefully.

"No matter how you look at it, that sounds very wrong, Kiyomi." Hyosuke told her.

"Why do you look so hopeful anyway?" Kazuki asked.

"Eh?"

"Don't be foolish." Sebastian spoke in a cocky tone. "Right now, the Prince is the only one that'll be able to help. It's his power that's killing them after all. All you'll be able to do is delay their deaths. It's hopeless."

"He's right . . ." Mia muttered. "We can't do anything."

"Wh-what . . ?" Hyosuke asked.

"No way . . ." Kiyomi muttered.

"I'm here." Galan muttered, arriving and immediately went beside Aeschylus. "What did I miss?"

_"What the hell took you so long?"_ Artemis asked.

"There were some cats who kept on bugging me." he answered and Aeschylus started filling him up on what just happened.

"Natsu . . ." tears threatened to fall from Lucy's eyes.

"Wait a minute." Addei said. "It's the Prince's power that's killing them right now, so . . ."

"If we beat him, that should be enough to help them." Kazuki finished, smirking.

"You honestly think that you can defeat my master?" Sebastian cocked an eyebrow at them.

"You practically just confirmed our suspicions . . . you fool." Addei said mockingly, making Sebastian glare at her. She then turned to the others with a plan in mind.

"Mia, you take these guys to the kitchen. Galan and Aeschylus, help her out. There's no need for the chains, there should be something more effective there you could use. A potion of some sort, right Kazuki?" she paused to look at her friend who nodded in response. "After helping Mia, you two should look for the others. I'm worried that the Prince might find them first, so be sure to hurry. The rest of you will look for the Prince. Don't split up, it'll just make things more complicated."

"Eh? What about you, Addei-san?" Lucy asked.

"Me?" she smirked, turning back to Sebastian. "I'll be playing with this bastard for a while."

They looked at the two with worry. Sebastian may be a mere butler, but his strength is no joke. He's worthy enough to be a part of the SSS. In fact, it's said that Sebastian and Addei's strength were in par with each other.

"Go!" Addei commanded, as she realized they weren't moving.

"Y-yes, ma'am!" they said and ran off. Kazuki ran off to Mia for a second to give her instructions regarding the potion while Lucy didn't seem like she didn't want to part with Natsu as she simply stared at him for a moment until Aeschylus approached her.

"Don't worry, Adora-chan." Aeschylus said in a comforting tone while Artemis started surrounding Natsu's body. "It'll be alright.

Lucy was silent for a moment before she nodded and joined her group.

"With the potion, they should stay alive for another hour." Addei said, looking at the clock. It was 11:05. "You have an hour to beat that asshole. You better do it, or your dead!"

"We know, we know!" Hyosuke said, before they ran off, with Addei watching them leave.

'_Good luck . . ._'

* * *

**Well, that's it.**

**As this story nears the end, I actually had a bit of trouble. I couldn't make up my mind on how it should end. Initially, I had a plan but with how the story is already going, I couldn't stick with it. Guess I should have thought this through before posting the whole thing.**

**Anyway, the end is nearing so Please review ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**


	31. Reason to Serve

**Chapter 31's here with 3,213 words not including A/N!** **Note to self, don't watch anime while trying to finish a chapter, because you won't get anything done.**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Addei and Sebastian stood face to face after the others left them. The hallway was silent once again with the both of them just staring each other down for a while until Addei finally spoke and broke the silence.

"Well?" she asked. "Aren't you gonna go after them?"

Sebastian didn't reply to her question so she continued on. "Your master ordered you to take care of them, right? Aren't you gonna go fulfill your masters orders?"

"I would like to, but it seems that you wouldn't allow me to do such a thing." he replied calmly.

"Right. It's good that you know." she said, mockingly. "So what are you gonna do about it?"

"Well, isn't that obvious?" he smirked. "I'm going to have to _dispose_ of you."

"Heh, that's only_ if_ you can_ dispose_ of me." she smirked back. "If anyone's kicking someone's ass in here, it'll be me. So let's get this over with so I can go and kick your cocky master's ass too."

"Oh?" Sebastian cocked an eyebrow at her words. "It seems you're the_ cocky_ one here."

"Hmph." Addei held her chin up, not even denying his statement, making him chuckle.

"Well, I suppose it's to be expected of the Prideful Soul of the SSS." he added. "All you have in your pitifull life as of now is that unnerving pride of yours, after all. Since you've already lost everything, that is the only how you have. The only force that's driving you to live on. The only thing you have left. "

Addei frowned at his words. "What the hell are you blabbering about, damned butler?"

"Ever since you were young, you've been treated as a low-life pest that's better off dead instead of corrupting this earth with your were raised being treated as if you're good-for-nothing, and you used to believe that." he smirked. "But now, it's different. You think highly of yourself and have great self-confidence, even though you have nothing to be proud of. Isn't that right?"

"Wh-what?" her eyes widened and she glared at him. "Sh-shut up!"

"No matter what you do, you never think that it's enough. You try to convince yourself through your own boastful words, but it was never enough. All you have is the power given to you by my master, correct? But you're not even as strong as Envy and his _counterpart_. You're not as fast and as cunning as lust. You're not as strong and as great in combat as Wrath. You're nothing special compared to them." he laughed. "But despite knowing that, you refused to admit and continued to think highly of yourself. You held onto your pride, because that's the only thing you have."

"Shut up! That's not true!" she yelled, pouncing at him. But Sebastian easily dodged her and smirked. She summoned her flames and threw them at him. Sebastian leaped and used the wall as a stepping stone to jump even higher up into the air so Addei's flames won't reach him. Realizing this, Addei stopped for a moment.

"It's the same with the rest of your little group, isn't it?" he continued on after landing safely on his feet. "Wrath's driving force is his boiling anger that and thirst for revenge after everything he's been through. Lust seeks for true undying love that she never, in her life, ever experienced. Greed wishes for the treasure that could've helped saved her dear mother, but won't be able to get her back. Sloth wishes for a peaceful life, and the closest he could ever come to that is literally in his dreams, which is why he's always asleep. Envy knows he's worthless, and the only reason he's still alive as of now is because of his shadow. He can only wish to be as strong as other people are. And Gluttony? Well, I suppose he just considers himself lucky. After all, his situation right now is much better than starving to death like he did back then."

"Shut up." she said. "Shut up. Shut up. Shut up! SHUT UP!"

Addei looked at him with pure anger. "Don't you dare talk to them as if you know them! There's no way someone like you could ever understand what we've been through!"

He chuckled "Well, in your case, I suppose it runs in the family as well. You may have, after all, gotten it from your father."

Addei's eyes widened at this.

"I have heard so much about him. I believe his name was Takeshi? And there was also your mother Naveen who, I'm told, looks just like you." Sebastian said. It was obvious that he was trying to get on her nerves, and it was working. "I'd like to say that you would've made them so proud of you, but then I would be lying, no?"

She clenched her fists at his words and gritted her teeth. Oh, how she wanted to beat the lliving crap out of him and wipe that stupid smirk off his lips! But she knew that she shouldn't just act so carelessly and out of anger, that wouldn't do her any good. She knew that better than anyone from all the times she's been challenged by people who went against the king. If you attack through anger, you won't be able to think straight and your enemy will take advantage of you because of that. But even though Sebastian's plan was obvious, she couldn't help but fall for it.

"To think that they both risked their lives just to have a peaceful life with their lovely little daughter, only to end up dead with the said daughter working for the man they despised the most." he laughed. "For the past few years, you would've disappointed your parents. Around a week ago, you disappointed your_ friend_, the princess. And now, you disappointed his Highness, along with my master."

Addei's anger was reaching it's boiling point, but she held herself back as much as she could. It took every ounce of her willpower to stay at the spot she was standing right now.

"And soon enough, you'll be disappointing your friends after you fail to defeat me."

"You just have a knack with pissing people off, don't you?" she said through gritted teeth to which Sebastian only chuckled.

"I take that as a compliment." he said. "Well then, I believe there is no actual reason for us to fight so childishly. How about I give you a chance to escape right now? That way, you'll be able to live a bit longer."

Addei scoffed. "Me? Run away? Puh-lease."

Sebastian cocked an eyebrow at her and crossed his arms while she continued on.

"That would be so unlike me, wouldn't it? I mean, the _Prideful_ Soul of the SSS _actually_ running away? Hah! Don't make me laugh! Something like that is an act of a coward." she smirked, her anger temporarily disappearing. "You said it yourself, didn't you? All I have left in my life is my Pride. There's no way I'm throwing that away especially when I know that there's no need to do something as stupid as that."

Sebastian frowned at her answer. It was Addei's turn to smirk and started pacing around him.

"In any case, why would I need to run when I could just beat you up and send you to hell just like what I did to your master's dear and beloved father." she said in a mocking tone and stopped as she stood behind Sebastian. He didn't even look back, but she knew that his eyes were already wide with shock right now. She then whispered something, but it was loud enough for him to hear.

"Long live the king." she giggled.

Sebastian turned to face her, glaring at her slightly. "My master wouldn't really like the idea that you've killed his father."

"Oh, c'mon Sebastian." she smirked. "That bastard will probably thank me for killing that old geezer."

"Is that honestly what you think?" he asked, making Addei pause for a moment.

"Well, yeah maybe he wouldn't I suppose. I mean, he'll probably just say that I wasted my energy or something. He was dying after all."

Sebastian continued to glare at her for a moment making her giggle. Who was getting pissed off now?

"It seems you have no idea what kind of trouble you've caused for us, Pride."

"Well, who cares anyway." she said nonchalantly. They were silent after she said that. Sebastian continued to glare at her while she just smiled at him a bit sadistically.

"I've wasted enough time with you already." he sighed. "If you wish to die, then I'll grant you that wish."

She smirked, knowing that he was going to go serious now. So she supposed she should do the same as well.

"Listen here, you gothic bastard!" she yelled. "If I'm ever walking away from this crappy, hellish place, it'll be after we beat the living crap out of every single son of a bitch here!"

She summoned a sword with her magic. It was a unique one; the handle was made from earth, and the bottom part of the blade was made of water while the upper part were flames.

"Well, I suppose you should be honored, butler. I've never showed this trick to anyone yet." she smirked. "_Genso no ken._"

"Elemental sword?" Sebastian asked.

"Yeah, well . . . I prefer to call it by it's japanese name. And as you can see, it's no ordinary sword. It can cut through everything, even steel!" she smirked. "Now then, allow me to take you to hell so you can join King Cedric."

She charged towards her opponent, gripping the blade in her hands tightly before swinging it with all her might. Sebastian leaned down and dodged it. She kept on swinging it again and again, but her opponent was fast. So she kept on missing. Until his back hit the wall, that is. He almost got hit, but he thought fast and squatted down. Addei missed once again. But that wasn't really a problem.

Sebastian took this opportunity to kick her on the stomach, making her step back a bit and cough. Since he had no other option, Sebastian fought bare-handed. And the fight continued on like that. Addei was trying to cut him with her sword while he tried to hit her with both his punches and kicks. But they were both fast and both of them managed to dodge all the attacks that each one of them was sending.

Soon they got tired and jumped back from each other, panting.

"I see . . . that you can . . . do so much more than . . . household chores." Addei said while panting. "Impressive."

"It's only to be expected . . . especially when you're dealing with . . . the one and only butler . . . of the Prince of Visna." he said, also panting. They stopped talking for a moment so they can fully regain their breaths. Then Addei spoke up.

"Why do you serve him?" she asked, catching him off guard. Her question was something that's been bugging her ever since Sebastian arrved in the castle. And even the butler before him seemed strange as well. And because of this, Addei didn't trust the butler. And she never got the chance to ask him this question up until now.

"Pardon?"

"Hidenori. Why do you serve him?" she asked. "I've been watching you for a while now, and you don't seem to do it unwillingly. What's in it for you? Why do you do everything he says without question and why do you always make sure you do it so perfectly?"

"That is a butler's job, is it not?" he answered.

"Yeah, but what's in it for you?" she asked. "You're treated like a slave. You're never acknowledged, and you seem to get nothing in return. We get all the respect here without doing any more than stand around that old geezer and take care of a few pests that rarely come in the palace. Meanwhile you, who keeps this place from falling apart, is given no attention at all. No riches, no fame, not even a simple 'thank you'. But you still do everything without complaints."

Sebastian frowned at first but he soon came to understand what she was saying. But still, he remained silent as she just continued on.

"You're even prepared to risk your life. You're so loyal to Hidenori. But why are you loyal?" Addei asked, frowning at him. Her eyes showed an emotion, but Sebastian wasn't sure what it was. It looked as if she was sad, but that couldn't be it. That doesn't make any sense. Until Sebastian realized . . . it was pity. "_Why_?"

Sebastian snapped and pounce at her, which she quickly dodged. Addei looked at her in confusion, while he just glared back at her and yelled; "Why should it matter to you?!"

He kept on attacking her in his fit of anger, while she just kept on dodging it, still confused. But deep inside, he wasn't sure himself why he was angry. Was it because he felt offended because she pitied him? Was it because he somehow thought that she was mocking him? Or maybe, it was just because he just didn't know the answer to her question.

She had a point. Why did he remain loyal to his master? Why was he determined to do everything he says, and even go as far as to risk his own life to grant his wishes? He didn't get anything in return. He had no debt that he needed to repay to him. He wasn't even being blackmailed to stay. So then, why? Why did he serve him this whole time? Was it because he admired him? Was it because he thought that his master will someday be grateful of him and give him something in return? Maybe it was because he feared for his life and thought that his life would be spared unlike the other citizens of this foul country if he served the Prince himself.

But no, none of them sounded right.

He tried to think for any other possible reasons as to why he was serving Hidenori in the first place. He was thinking so hard that he didn't focus on his current situation. Addei was easily able to find an opening and managed to cut him on his chest.

Sebastian's eyes widened in shock and he coughed up blood. He fell flat on the ground as he continued to bleed. If this goes on, he might die due to massive blood loss. Addei shook her head, thinking that Erza put on a bigger fight than he did. But then again, it was probably because of what she had said earlier.

"What happened to you?" she asked, sitting cross-legged beside him.

"I . . . hesitated." he answered. "I doubted the prince. Some butler I am, huh? Just like you said."

He coughed up more blood, but Addei didn't do anything about this and just continued to stare blankly at him.

"You should learn how to keep your emotions in check." she told him. "Just like how I did, earlier. If I had snapped back there, I would be the one bleeding to death right now."

He forced out a chuckle. "I suppose so. I should have done a better job in taunting you."

"No, you did a good job at that, actually." she said.

Silence.

"So, why _are_ you so loyal to him?" Addei asked. And for a while, she only received silence, making her sigh.

"I . . . don't know." he finally answered.

"Huh? How could you not know the reason as to why you let people treat you like a slave?" she asked in disbelief.

"I . . . I just don't know." he sighed. And for a moment, they both forgot his current condition as Sebastian tried to explain the reason behind his loyalty to her.

* * *

"Man, this place is way too huge!" Hyosuke complained as they wandered around the castle aimlessly, just hoping that they'll somehow bump into the prince. "And to think that I ranted on and on for half a day to his highness to get this place renovated and make it bigger!"

"If the Prince hadn't threatened your life, you wouldn't have let it go." Kazuki added.

"Hyosuke-kun, you wanted more space in the castle so you can fight more freely without worrying about breaking anything and getting an earful of scoldings, right?" Kiyomi asked.

"Ah, that's right." he nodded.

"This isn't the time for any of that, guys!" Lucy told them. "We need to hurry up and find the prince! Quick!"

And as if on cue, to soldiers appeared in front of them after they reached a corner. This made them stop running.

"Ah, it's the traitors!" one of the soldiers yelled, getting ready for battle.

"H-how did you get in here!" the other asked.

"Ah, and the princess is here, too!"

"Ah, good timing! The prince was looking for her!"

The battled. The fight lasted for exactly two seconds, they spent one for each soldier.

Hyosuke grabbed one of them on their collar and started shaking him violently and also gave him a murderous glared. The other two SSS behind him glared at the soldier the same way.

"Now, where is the Prince?" he asked.

* * *

"Oh my . . ." Hidenori chuckled. "This is unexpected."

Lucy, along with Hyosuke, Kiyomi, and Kazuki, entered the large room where the dragons slayers and the SSS fought at earlier that evening. Hidenori sat at his throne, as prideful and cruel as usual.

"I expected that someone will come after me, but to think that it'll be you of all people." he smirked. "Well then, that saves me a lot of trouble."

Lucy glared at him as he stood up.

"So, what have you come here for?" he asked, mockingly. "For our _wedding_, I hope."

"I . . ." Lucy glared intently at him. She hated this man more than anyone in her entire life. That was all in her mind right now. She wasn't thinking of everything he did to her, but what he did to those around her. He hurt her old friends, made her new ones suffer, and he seemed to enjoy it too. Other than that, she thought of what he did to all the poor people of this country, and what he planned to do with Fiore.

But now, she'll end his reign of terror. And three of her friends were here to help her with it.

"I've come to kill you!" she yelled with pure determination.

* * *

**I'll probably post the next chapter on Wednesday! So look forward to it!**

**I wasn't in the mood for a fighting scene, sorry about that. So they're basically just talking up there. Also, at first I was going to make L&S Sebastian be kinda like Kuroshitsuji Sebastian. But I had a plot in mind, so he's nothing like him. This is Fairy Tail after all people, not Kuroshitsuji.**

**Please review ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**


	32. Let's go

**Chapter 32 with 3,016 words.**

**Reminder: there are flashbacks here, but it isn't that long.**

**This font is when the king is talking.**

_This font is when the prince is talking._

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"It had been around 10 years since I first served the Prince, and I still remember that day clearly." Sebastian started telling his tale. "But to tell you then truth, I don't recall anything before that."

"Eh? How can that be?" Addei asked. "You look like you're a few years older than me, so you must've been in your early twenties that time. You had to have _some_ sort of memory before that, like you're childhood or something."

"I'm not sure of it myself." he shook his head. "But no matter how hard I try, I couldn't remember anything before that. I don't remember a life before serving my master."

"Well then, what _do_ you remember?"

"The first thing I remember is standing at one of the rooms in this mansion. I was just standing there, very still and not moving a muscle until my master arrived." he told her. "I don't really understand it myself, but once he gave me an order, I just had to obey him. I just had this strange urge to do so."

"What?" Addei asked, a bit confused.

"It may sound strange but . . . these past few years, I've never thought of anything but serving my master. I never questioned his orders, and I always obeyed them. I suppose I never had a reason, nut thinking about it right now . . . why did I serve him with such loyalty for the past ten years?"

Addei remained silent as he continued on.

"I don't know . . . But . . . even without a reason, I still feel the need to obey his orders." he said before struggling to get up, only to wince in pain.

"Idiot. You have a fatal wound and you insist on getting up?" she said, but Sebastian ignored her and continued speaking.

"But I must admit, it is strange. . ." he said. "Now that I think about it, I don't think I've been trying to obey his orders at all. It's like I've been doing things without thinking about it."

He sighed, and Addei only remained silent.

"Once I received an order from him . . . I suddenly find myself bowing down to him and then I'm off to fulfill his wishes. My mind always remains blank when I serve him. . . .It's like . . . I'm not even in control of . . . my own actions . . . In the outside, I . . . serve . . . my master with great loyalty . . . while on the inside, I . . . don't seem . . . to do anything about it." he forced the words to come out as he panted and coughed.

He coughed up blood and started panting for breath, but Addei didn't do anything about it and just stared at him with an emotionless look.

"Strange." she muttered. "You're dying and yet you still find the energy to speak so much."

Sebastian ignored what she said and looked at her. It was obvious that he wasn't going to last any longer.

"Why . . . do you think . . . I did it?" he asked her before coughing up more blood. Addei only remained silent.

"But then again . . . right now, I'm . . . dying . . . And it's all because . . . I hesitated and doubt my master." he coughed. "I . . . should have . . . remained loyal to him . . . until the very end."

And with those final words, Sebastian fell limp and closed his eyes to fall into eternal sleep. Addei stared at him for a moment longer before getting up and left to find the others.

"You're a fool, Sebastian." she muttered, mostly to herself and opened a nearby window, letting the cold evening air blow inside the dark halls. "You served the Prince for ten years and until your dying day, you still couldn't find out that you had been hypnotized. You were being controlled. That's the only reason why you're so willing to serve that son of a bitch."

Without turning around, she snapped her fingers and Sebastian's corpse was set aflame and slowly turned to ashes.

"Until the very end, you remained loyal to him. Even though you were nothing but a foolish puppet to him." she forced a chuckle. "And you call_ us_ pathetic and foolish . . ."

Events of the past few years she spent protecting the king and serving the Prince replayed through her mind. Their voices kept ringing in her head.

_"Get it? From now on, this is your home. And you only have to stay beside my father all the time. Protect him at all costs."_

**"I have high expectations to those who call themselves a part of the SSS. You better not be a disappointment, orphan."**

_"If you don't have the guts to kill someone, then you're better off dead. We don't need an SSS member who can't rid the castle of its pests."_

**"In this world, it's killed or be killed. You're lucky that I keep you inside the safety of these walls."**

_"Don't be foolish! You can't set foot out of this place! It's a sacrifice necessary for a person of your rank."_

**"How dare you question my orders! Know your place, wench!"**

_"Maybe I should just kill you right now . . ."_

**"I have no need for weaklings in my army. Kill them."**

Addei continued to walk away as Sebastian's ashes were blown away by the wind. A frown had settled on her face as these memories plagues her mind for the time being.

"But I wonder which one of us was more foolish." she whispered. "You, who was being controlled to fulfilling their wishes this whole time, and not realizing it. Or me, who has willingly served them until today, without question at all."

Of course, there was no one to reply and she fell silent once more. The only sound to be heard is the sound of the wind blowing through the open window.

"The people of the Royal family of Visna are good at manipulating people, aren't they?" she muttered before disappearing to the dark hallways, in search for her friends.

* * *

"Just hang in there, Erza!" Mia said, even though the titania was currently unconscious and was therefore unable to hear her. "I'm sure Adora-chan will do whatever it takes to make sure you live! So you just do your best to stay alive, okay?"

"I see . . ." Charle muttered. Mia had let them out of their cages and explained the whole situation to them and also asked them to help Galan and Aeschylus out on the search. Erza and the others were laying down at a bunch of tables and chairs they put together. "So that's the current situation, huh?"

"That's right." Mia nodded.

"We sure missed a lot, huh?" Happy said.

"In any case, you want us to find the others who are still wandering around the caslte?" Lily asked.

"Yeah. They could still be in danger." Mia told them.

"Alright! Leave it to us." Lector said. "We leave Sting-kun at your hands! Frosch, let's go find Rogue. I'm sure they're doing fine, though."

"Fro agrees." the cute little exceed said before flying out of the kitchen

"Alright then, we're going too." Lily nodded and flew after his fellow exceeds. Charle was about to follow him until she noticed that Happy didn't move from his place beside Natsu.

"Happy, aren't you coming with us?" she asked.

"The others can take care of themselves. They're all strong." he said. "Right now, I think I'll stay with Natsu."

The blue exceed looked at the blonde who was preparing some medicine for them.

"I don't trust you yet!" Happy told Mia, who looked up from what she was doing and stared at him in confusion. "So I'm going to stay here and make sure you won't do anything to Natsu and the others."

Mia sighed, a bit offended. "Well, suit yourself."

"Okay then, take care." Charle said, before she left them. Happy just sat there, staring worriedly at Natsu while Mia continued on trying to treat them.

"Hey, is it true that you're our ally now?" the blue exceed asked.

"Yep. You better believe it." Mia smiled at him.

"But, why . . ?"

"Well, you know. We had our reasons as to why we were serving the king in the first place." she explained. "But our reasons just seem pointless right now. So we quit and decided to help you out."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"You just decided to help us . . ? Just like that?"

"Yep."

"You're weird." he said.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean!"

"Exactly what I said."

"Why you little . . ." Mia stopped as she suddenly heard someone approaching and summoned her coins to get ready for battle. This startled Happy a bit.

"Wh-what? What is it?" he asked.

"Someone's coming."

"What?!" he asked and hid behind her. Their bodies tensed as they anticipated an enemy to appear.

But it turned out to only be Aeschylus, making her sigh in relief.

"Aeschy, you scared us there for a second." she said.

"Ah, sorry . . ." he muttered.

"Ah, you're one of the people who carried Natsu and the others in, weren't you?"

"That's right. My name's Aeschylus. Nice to meet you." he nodded.

"Ah, I'm Happy." the exceed replied.

Aeschylus sighed and started to sulk. "I wish I could be happy . . ."

"Ah, no. My_ name_ is Happy." he clarified, sweat dropping. '_There are a lot of weird people here._'

"Anyways, I wasn't any help for the search, so I decided to come back here and see what I can do."

"By the way Aeschy, how's the search going?" Mia asked.

"Isn't his name Aeschylus?" Happy asked.

"Well, Artemis is doing her best, but we still can't find them anywhere." he answered. The blonde nodded before getting back to treating her patients.

"I'm telling you, they're all fine! They have to be!" Happy told them, but he went ignored by the other two.

"Mia-chan, how are they?" Aeschylus asked.

"Not so good." she sighed. "If this keeps up, they'll probably last for at least half an hour."

"That gives us half an hour to save them, then."

"Yeah, but is that enough time?" Mia asked, worried. "I mean, sure Adora-chan got stronger now. But will it be enough to take down the prince. We all know that the power he has is completely unimaginable."

"We just have to trust that they'll make it through this somehow." Aeschylus sighed, and then Artemis appeared inside the room all of a sudden.

"Artemis?" Mia asked.

'Woah! A shadow!" Happy yelled in amazement.

"Is something wrong?" Aeschylus asked.

"_Nothing I just thought that you should know something . . ._" his counterpart said.

Mia watched as Artemis seemed to tell Aeschylus something. She felt a mixture of confusion and curiosity when Aeschylus suddenly reflected a look of shock. Happy only continued to watch them in confusion, wondering if Aeschylus was really talking with the shadow.

"What? What is it?" she asked.

"Sebastian . . ." he answered in whisper, making sure Happy couldn't hear him. This was none of his business anyway. "He's . . . he's dead."

"Eh? You mean . . . Addei-chan . . ." Mia's eyes widened.

"Yeah. It looks like it." he muttered with his eyes downcast. Mia looked away as well, not really sure how to feel about it and she was sure Aeschylus was wondering the same thing. They didn't really know the butler so well, so they didn't have a grudge against him. Well, sure he got in their way, tried to take Lucy and also tried to kill Erza and the others. But he was, after all, just following orders. They didn't expect Addei to go all out and for this to happen. But still, you can't say that they felt bad about his death at all. They didn't even feel a shred of sadness or pity.

"I . . ." Mia muttered, and there was a long pause between them. "I suppose that it's to be expected."

"_That bastard deserved it anyway._" Artemis scoffed.

"In any case, that means Addei-chan will be able to help Adora-chan and the others." Mia said, optimistically before turning to the others with a soft smile. "I sure hope Adora-chan will be able to help them."

"Didn't she say that we should already start calling her Lucy?" Aeschylus asked.

"Eh? Lucy?" Happy asked, shocked. "You guys were talking about Lucy?"

"Ah, that's right. Lucy." she said apologetically. "I hope Lucy will be able to help them."

"Maybe we should have come with them."

"No, we have to make sure the others are alright."

The both of them stopped talking when they heard something fall on the floor. They turned to see that the cause of it had been Natsu. He knocked a glass down while he was struggling to sit straight up. By the look on his face, he was experiencing great pain and it must've took all of his energy to just move.

"Natsu!" Happy cried in relief.

"Ah, Happy . . . I'm glad . . . you're safe." he forced the words out of his mouth, and struggled more to get up.

"W-wait! Hold on a sec!" Mia cried. "Your still in a fatal condition! You're not supposed to be moving. Please lay back down."

"You said . . ." Natsu panted for air, and Mia looked at him in confusion. He continued. "You said . . . Lucy was . . . fighting."

"Ah, well . . ." Mia glanced at Aeschylus, wondering what to say.

"Is it true?" he asked, practically yelling and making Mia flinch.

"Yeah, but . . ." Mia trailed off. Natsu didn't let her finish her sentence and immediately stood up, but he cringed in pain and almost fell back down.

"Natsu!" Happy cried.

"See? You can't move yet! You could die, you know!" Mia yelled at him. "The spell Hidenori cast on you was something that absorbs your magical power! It's a fatal spell, and you could die because of it!"

"And so, to save us, Lucy went on and decided to face that bastard, huh?" Natsu asked. It was a question Mian was unable to reply to.

"That's right."

"Aeschylus!"

"What? It's true, isn't it?" the green haired man said.

"_You're getting bolder by the minute . . ._" Artemis commented.

"She's fighting that bastard, even though we could barely put a scratch on him before . . ." Natsu said.

"Well, yeah . . ." Mia nodded. "B-but she'll be fine! She has three- no, four of the SSS with her! Plus she's gotten stronger. So we've got nothing to worry abou-"

"We can't be sure about that!" the fire mage yelled, making the entire room go silent. "I already lost her once because of that bastard. There's no way I'm letting that happen to me again!"

"Natsu . . ." Happy muttered.

"I'm going after her." he announced, shocking them.

"Wh-what?" Mia asked in disbelief. "N-no! Like I said; you're in a grave condition right now!"

"I've been in worse situations." he told her and walked away. "You comin' Happy?"

"Aye!"

"H-hold on!" Mia cried out. "We can't just let you two go! Addei and the others trusted us to-"

"That's enough Mia-chan." Aeschylus told her, annoying the blonde.

"What do you mean 'that's enough'?" she practically yelled. "How can you let them just get away like that? Especially when he's in that condition. He could get himself killed, you know!"

"He's already decided. There's nothing more we can do about it. Try all you want, nothing can change his mind now." Aeschylus explained. "Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be fine. In any case, Lucy told us herself, didn't she? If that guy puts his mind into something, then nothing can stop him from getting it."

Mia looked very angry and annoyed at first and glared at Aeschylus for a minute before finally sighing in defeat, thinking that her friend was right. She decided to just go back to treating her patients instead of wasting her time with that fire mage.

"Geez, that idiot . . ." she muttered. "He'll probably just get in the way. I swear, if something happens to Lucy because of him, I'll . . ."

"Don't worry. We all know, right?" he smiled softly. "That guy will do anything to protect Lucy. No matter what."

Mia sighed but then smiled softly at what he just said. "I guess you're right . . ."

Silence . . .

"I feel like I don't know you anymore." Artemis said.

"Ah, sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about!" she yelled, annoyed.

"I'm sorry!" he cried.

"Oi. What the hell? You guys ruined the moment." Mia sweat dropped at the two.

* * *

"Let's go, Happy! I'll lead the way." Natsu grinned, running down the halls. "That bastard of a prince might be hard to track, but I still remember Lucy's scent perfectly!"

"Aye!" Happy cheered. "Hey, Natsu. Are you sure you don't want me to carry you?"

"Yeah! Don't worry about me. This is nothing." he grinned.

"I see . . ." Happy muttered, but he still looked at him with a worried expression. This made Natsu stop running to pat him in the head.

"Don't look like that Happy. We're going to see Lucy real soon, after all." he said, making Happy's eyes shine.

"Is it true? Is Lucy really okay?"

"You bet she is!" Natsu grinned, and Happy couldn't help but smile as well. The blue exceed couldn't wait to see the celestial mage. He missed her so much!

"But right now, we better go and make sure she's alright, okay?" Natsu added.

"Right." Happy nodded, enthusiastically. "Then after that, we'll go home to Fairy Tail together, right?"

"You bet we are!" Natsu practically yelled. "Now let's go!

"Aye Sir!"

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed this one!**

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** ~ RnR ~ !**

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	33. Fight with Hidenori

**3,051 words. Sorry for all the mistakes, I'm only human after all.**

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

"Gyah!" Lucy shrieked as she hit the hard wall after taking a punch from Hidenori.

"Lucy!" she heard her friends yell as she fell down hard on the ground.

"I-I'm . . . alright." she said.

"You don't look alright if you ask me." Lucy's eyes widened and she practically jumped when she heard Hidenori's voice coming from behind her. She turned around, only to be grabbed on the neck and raised up into the air.

She choked and tried to struggle out of his grip, clawing his hand and kicking. But Hidenori only laughed at her efforts and tightened his grip on her neck. Lucy's face was starting to become pale because of the lack of oxygen, so her other three companions didn't waste any time coming to save her.

"Lucy!" Kazuki cried.

"Hold on!" Hyosuke yelled. And the two men attacked Hidenori at the same time, Hyosuke charging after him and Kazuki supporting him from behind with his magic.

But the prince only scowled at them. He sent Hyosuke away with a powerful kick, and just as Kazuki's magic was about to affect him, it disappeared.

"H-he nullified it?" Kazuki asked in shock.

"Hmph, you fools seemed to have underestimated me a bit." Hidenori smirked. But then his eyes widened in shock as he sensed someone from behind. Before he could even react, Kiyomi had already hit him on the stomach with her elbow, making him cough and his grip on Lucy loosened, and she immediately gasped for, taking the much needed air into her system. The blonde fell down, barely conscious. But luckily, Kiyomi caught her before she landed and jumped away from Hidenori, with Lucy in her arms.

"It seems we're not the only ones who underestimated their opponents." Kiyomia said, trying to look confident. Before Hidenori could even reply, the other two men had charged towards him. This gave Kiyomi time to check on her friend's condition.

Lucy was conscious, but barely. She was still panting for air, so she was alive at least.

"Lucy, Lucy." she shook her a bit. "Are you alright."

Lucy moaned as she tried to struggle back up. "Yeah . . ."

"Don't push yourself." Kiyomi told her.

"This . . . is nothing." she said. "I have to defeat this guy, no matter what. Everyone . . . everyone's relying on me. They're all counting on me."

The blonde forced herself to stand up, making her friend worry even more. But still, Kiyomi remained silent, so she continued on.

"All this time, when I was still a Fairy Tail mage, I always relied on others to save me. I always got myself into trouble, and they'll always be there to help me." Lucy summoned her scythe with a determined look on her face. "But now . . . they're the ones in trouble. So it's my turn to help them. My friends are dying right now, so it's my turn to save them!"

Lucy unconsciously emitted displayed the strong magical power she now possessed, emitting it from her body. "There's no way I'm going to let them die!"

Kiyomi smiled up at her, not affected by the power she was emitting at all. "Well said, Lucy."

The three men who had been fighting stopped when they noticed Lucy. Kazuki and Hyosuke's eyes widened at the sight of her, while Hidenori just stared at her with a bored look.

"So, you're finally going to go serious on me, huh?" he asked.

"Yeah." Lucy nodded, her grip on the scythe tightening.

Hidenoru chuckled. "How ironic. You're going to kill me with the very same power I gave you?"

"Isn't that obvious enough?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "You should've saw this coming, anyway."

"Indeed. Things have certainly not been going on as I'd hope it would."

"Yeah, you can say that you're finally getting what you deserve after all these years."

"Isn't that so?" he smirked. "Do you really think you'll be able to defeat me?"

"Do you really think I can't?" she retorted, making him laugh.

"This is getting interesting." he said. "Well then, my dear. Go ahead. _Entertain me._"

Lucy snapped at this and charged towards him in her fit of rage. She swung the scythe at him, which he easily managed to block with a single hand. She immediately abandoned her weapon and tried to hit him with a punch, but he somehow managed to step away from her in time, making her miss. Annoyed, Lucy started to throw punches and kicks at him. But he effectively blocked all of them, while still maintaining the smirk on his face.

Meanwhile, the other three who served as the spectators of this bottle stared at them in shock.

"From the looks of it, Lucy does seem to have gotten stronger." Hyosuke said.

"She's keeping him occupied, at least." Kazuki noted. "Not like when we were fighting him. We were like flies to him."

"Well yeah, but the prince still has the upper hand on this battle." Kiyomi told them. "He's just observing the extent of Lucy's powers for now."

"But there's no way she'd lose, right?" Hyosuke said. "I mean, this is Lucy we're talking about."

"Well, it's still too early to say."

"Don't worry, we're still here, right?" Kazuki told them. "Remember guys, there's no turning back now after what we've done. So we need to win this, no matter what."

"Yeah." Hyosuke smirked. "Don't worry, Kiyomi. We'll get through this!"

She remained silent for a moment, before giving them a sad smile. "Yeah."

They turned back to watching the fight. They all decided not to jump in since they'll just be in the way.

"But it's hard to calm down when there's a fierce battle going on, and you know that you can't do anything to help." Kiyomi whispered, but the other two men heard her. Hyosuke immediately tried to comfort her, but Kazuki didn't do anything about it. Because he understood what she felt and felt terrible about it too. He frowned as he stood there, only being able to hope that Lucy will be alright after this.

Hidenori got bored and caught Lucy's fist while she threw another punch shocking her. He glanced at the a clock; it was already 11:17. He only had over half an hour before midnight arrives. Realizing that time was limited, he twisted her wrist and placed in against her back. Lucy cringed in pain while trying to struggle out of her grip.

"Lucy!" the trio yelled, deciding that this was the right time to jump in and help her out. So they all charged towards him at the same time, hoping to find some sort of opening.

"Tch, how annoying." Hidenori scowled and snapped his fingers. Kiyomi, Hyosuke and Kazuki weren't able to take another step as they became surrounded by Hidenori's black magic making their bodies seem to glow an eerie red color. And suddenly they felt excruciating pain from inside them, bringing them down to their knees as they were engulfed in what seemed like a small explosion.

They cried and collapsed on the floor, coughing up blood.

"Guys!" Lucy cried, and turned to glare at Hidenori as he started laughing. "You . . . This is your magic?"

"That's right." he smirked. "You can consider it similar to Rapture Magic, but much more powerful."

He pushed her harshly away, making her fall to the ground while he continued to explain. "Not only can I swell the Magic in a person's body and make it explode, I can control it as well. Weaken it, strengthen it, nullify it and even convert it."

"You . . . so all this time . . ." Lucy's eyes widened in realization.

"That's right. You can come at me with all the magic you've got. But I'll just weaken your magic, so that they'll become nothing to me. And even if you'll attack me with long range magic, I can either nullify it or convert it into healing magic." he smirked. "How else did you think I managed to take on your friends without getting a single scratch?"

Lucy's eyes widened when she realized that he's practically unbeatable, and he could only smirk when he saw her reaction.

"But tell you what . . ." he leaned down to her, so their face were only inches apart. "If you save me the trouble of fighting you and wasting more precious time, I'll let these orphans you call your friends go. I'll even lift the spell on the other fools I fought a while ago. Now aren't I merciful?"

Lucy was just frozen in her place as she thought about what he just said. It was true that she really wanted to beat him, but she wasn't used to fighting enemies that were so strong. Fear was starting to consume her as she remembered the state her friends were in. Nastu and the others were dying, while the SSS are going to be executed. If she lost this battle, everyone will die. With this in thought, she started to forget her previous resolve and actually consider his offer.

"Don't!" she suddenly heard someone yell, making the both turn around. In a blink of an eye, Hidenori slammed against the wall, practically breaking it while Addei helped Lucy get back up on her feet.

"Lucy, are you alright?"

"A-Addei-san! I-I'm fine."

"Don't let him get to you. He's just using a bunch of stupid lies. He won't keep his promise, you know that."

"I do, but . . ." Lucy looked away guiltily. "I'm sorry. It's just that I got so worried about my friends that . . ."

"Don't worry, I completely understand." she told her. "That bastard just has a way with words, I guess."

"Yeah . . ."

"Oi! You guys alright, over there?" Addei turned to her team mates, who were struggling to get up.

"Yeah . . ." Hyosuke coughed.

"Sorry, Lucy. We weren't able to help at all." Kiyomi said.

"No, it's alright."

"Addei . . ." they turned to see Hidenori getting up. "Damn, I let my guard down. But I had thought for sure that Sebastian kept _you_ busy, at least."

"He did." she dead panned. "Did you really think that he'll be enough to take me on?"

"I see . . ." he wiped the dust away from his clothes. "He turned out to be quite a disappointment after all."

"If you think that's disappointing, then just wait until we're done with you." she told him.

"Hmph, don't get too full of yourself. Sebastian is nothing compared to me."

"We'll just have to see about that . . ." Addei smirked as she summoned all four elements to aid her in battle.

"A-Addei-san, wait a second!" Lucy grabbed her arm to stop her from doing anything rash. "H-his power . . ."

"Oh, that? Yeah, I know what he can do." she waved her away.

"You do?" Lucy, along with the other three, asked in unison.

"I'm the first member to become a part of the SSS after all. I've known this guy longer than any of you. Of course I know what he can do." she smirked.

"And do you think that the knowledge of my power will be able to help you win?" Hidenori raised an eyebrow at her.

"It'll be useful to a certain degree." she said before turning to her comrades. "Guys, whatever you do, don't hold back, got it? Attack all at once. When you see the chance to hit him, do it."

"Understood!"

* * *

"Natsu, are you sure it's this way?" Happy asked.

"Of course I am!" he replied. "It's just that it's still a bit too far away."

"This place is really huge . . ."

"Tell me about it."

"I sure hope Lucy's still okay."

"I'm sure she is!" Natsu said, before suddenly tripping.

"Ah, Natsu! Are you okay?"

The fire mage felt such excruciating pain in his chest, he was unable to move for a full minute which made Happy incredibly worried and helpless.

"Natsu! Natsu! Are you alright?"

"I . . . I'm fine . . ." he told him. "It's just that . . ."

"Was it really such a good idea to go in your condition . . ?"

"Don'y worry! I'm fine!" Natsu insisted and got back up on his feet, as if nothing happened. "Let's go."

"Aye!"

* * *

Addei was using her power to it's full extent, but that didn't seem to be able to help her at all. Right now, they were going all out, but it wasn't enough. Although Hidenori does seem to be having a hard time with holding them off, they still weren't winning. It's going to take a lot more than that to win against him.

Hyosuke suddenly roared and charged towards Hidenori as he was blocking both Lucy and Kiyomi's attacks and scratched his back. The wound was deep, and it even brought the prince down to his knees. Kazuki and Kiyomi decided to take advantage of this and attacked him with their magic. Addei's eyes widened.

"Wait, guys! Don't!"

But it was too late. Hidenori converted their magic into healing magic and it hit him, causing the wounds he got from Hyosuke to heal.

"Eh?" they stared at him in shock, as he got back up.

"Idiots! Didn't you guys remembered anything he said earlier? He can convert any type of magic too!"

"Ah, that's right." Lucy snapped her fingers.

"W-we're sorry . . ." Kazuki and Kiyomi said.

"It's alright." Addei sighed. "Just don't do it again.

"Don't worry about it." Hidenori said, his eyes darkening as he brought his palms together and gathered as much power as he could. "None of you are going to last longer, anyway."

"Wh-what . . ?" Addei's eyes widened when she immediately recognized the spell. "It can't be . . . y-you've already used it once today! There's no way you could . . ."

"Don't tell me . . ." Lucy and the others soon understood.

"No way . . ." Kiyomi covered her mouth in shock. "He couldn't possibly be that strong."

"Run for it!" Hyosuke yelled.

"Useless . . ." Hidenori muttered. "You've already wasted enough of my time. Now then . . . prepare to die!"

**"Satan's Wrath!"**

The SSS members yelled in panic. They knew that running away now would be futile, so they didn't bother trying. Kazuki and Addei's eyes widened as they instinctively tried to shield themselves with their arms. Kiyomi had tears forming in her eyes in fear of what was going to happen to them while Hyosuke embraced her and tried to shield her from the impact. Preparing for the worst, they braced themselves.

Lucy's eyes widened and she instinctively stretched her arms out in front of her and, for some reason, she yelled something without even thinking about it.

**"Heaven's Wrath!"**

A magic circle appeared in front of her, and from it, a massive mixture of light and dark magic shot out like a cannon and clashed with Hidenori's spell. Amazingly, it overpowered Satan's Wrath and completely nullified it. Hidenori was in shock, and was unable to move when the spell hit him next.

The wall behind him was also destroyed and smoke covered the air afterwards. Lucy's four companions looked up and was in shock at what had just occurred. They may have had their eyes closed when it happened, but they weren't as stupid as to not be able to put two and two together and figure things out. Plus, it was obvious what happened.

They stared at Lucy with a mixture of shock and confusion, while she stared back at them with the same look on her face.

"What." Hyosuke spoke up, stepping away from Kiyomi. "the _hell_?"

"Did you just . . ?" Kazuki asked, unable to finish his sentence.

"I-I don't know! I just . . ." she stuttered.

"Heh . . . you're stronger than I thought." Addei smirked. "To think that you were able to over-power him . . ."

"That was amazing, Lucy!" Kiyomi said, her eyes sparkling.

But then, the smoke cleared, revealing a very pissed off Hidenori. For a second, he was standing there, glaring at them. Then the next, he was right behind Lucy, ready to grab her.

"Lucy!" Kiyomi cried.

"Watch out!" Hyosuke yelled.

Lucy turned around and her eyes widened, but she was unable to react. Nor was there any time for her to get away from him. Hidenori was just about to be able to grab her arm, when they all heard a shout coming from the door.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!"

Hidenori was hit with full force and was sent away from Lucy. The rest of them turned around and was shocked to see Natsu, standing there in all his glory.

"N-Natsu!" Lucy cried, and then she suddenly felt something hit her on her chest.

"Lucy~!" the blue exceed yelled with tears streaming down his face. He must've missed her a lot and he was probably very glad to see her alive and well.

"H-Happy! Wh-what are you doing here?" she asked.

"We came to make sure you were alright!" Happy said, wiping her tears away. Lucy then turned her attention to the fire mage who was still standing at the door.

"Natsu, you shouldn't be up like this! Nor should you be using any of your magic! You could die, you know!" she said running towards him while leaving Happy in Kazuki's care.

"Yeah . . . and so could you." Natsu told her, making her go silent. He was panting from using his magic, but he still continued to speak. "Funny . . . you kinda sound like that other girl from before . . . she tried to stop me from going after you. But I can't do that . . ."

"Natsu . . ." Lucy looked at him with sad and guilty eyes and embraced him. "Don't worry, everything's going to be alright. I promise."

"Damn right it will . . ."

* * *

**Well, that's that! I hope you like this chapter!**

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	34. Karma

**A chapter with 3,130 words! I'm sorry if it took a bit longer than usual. There had been something wrong with our internet connection.**

**Well, here you go guys!**

* * *

Hidenori was beyond pissed. These people were a bunch of nuisances, it made him want to kill them all right now. But not before making at least one of them suffer first.

"Eh . . ?" Lucy was a bit confused when she felt something on her leg. Her eyes widened when she saw a vine wrapping itself around her leg. Before she could even react to it, she was pulled and dragged away from where she was standing making her shriek.

"Lucy!" they all cried. More vines wrapped itself around her limbs, restraining her from any movement.

"G-guys! Help!" she cried in panic and her friends try to waste no time in running to her aid. But they were stopped by Hidenori who took care of them in one swift kick.

"Do you like it?" he asked. "This plant was raised by Sebastian himself. At least he had been of some use to me."

"Bastard!" Hyosuke growled.

"Stay away from her!" Kazuki yelled.

"Lucy! Hang in there!" Kiyomi cried out.

"You're all so annoying." Hidenori said, glaring at them. "I've wasted enough time already."

He snapped his fingers, the sound echoed throughout the room. And for a while, nothing happened.

But then, Natsu suddenly gasped and started panting as he felt a sudden surge of pain in his chest, making Happy look at him worriedly.

"N-Natsu . . . are you alright . . ?"

"I-I . . ."

"Addei! Look!" Kazuki yelled pointing at Lucy. Addei, although at first confused, stared at Lucy and tried to figure out what was wrong. Her eyes suddenly widened when she noticed that her eyes were losing it's hazel brown and turning bloody red.

"Sh-she's . . ." Kiyomi covered her mouth, but the shock was still evident in her eyes.

"Hang in there, Lucy!" Hyosuke cried, and they were all about to charge towards Hidenori and help her. But then they heard Natsu cry in pain as he feel down to his knees.

"Natsu!" Happy cried worriedly. "Wh-what's going on?"

"His magic is being absorbed faster . . ." Addei's eyes widened. "At this rate, he's going to die a lot sooner."

"You bastard!" Hyosuke growled.

"Please stop it! He's in so much pain right now!" Kiyomi cried. She couldn't stand seeing someone who made her friend so happy suffer so much.

Unfortunately for them, he didn't.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the kitchen, Erza and the others shifted a bit.

"Ah, are they waking up?" Aeschylus asked.

"Maybe." Mia went to Erza's side and observed her condition. "No . . . something's not right."

All of a sudden, the silent kitchen was filled with Erza's cries of pain.

"E-Erza!" Mia cried.

"_The hell?_" Artemis asked. "_Aeschylus, look! The other are . . ."_

Aeschylus observed them and noticed that they, too, seem to be in pain. All of them were panting, grunting, and clutching their chests.

"M-Mia! Th-they're . . ."

"Wh-what's going on?" Mia was starting to panic; she didn't know what to do.

"This can't be good . . ." Artemis muttered._ "Stay here, Aeschylus. I'll be right back._"

Aeschylus' shadow then disappeared into the hallway and he decided not to stop her. They had a bigger situation right now. But he just wasn't sure how he was going to help out.

* * *

Natsu continued to cry out in pain, and Hyosuke had just about enough of it.

"Dammit, if you don't stop right now I'll make you stop!" he cried, charging towards him. Hidenori just raised an eyebrow at him and glanced towards Natsu. Immediately, the fire mage's cries grew louder, causing Hyosuke to stop in his tracks.

"I wouldn't be so reckless if I were you." Hidenori smirked sadistically. "Remember that the dragon slayer's, as well as his friends', life is in my hands. He is at my mercy."

"Bastard, that's dirty!" Hyosuke yelled.

"Oh? Is that so?"

Natsu cried once again, clutching his chest and gasping for breath.

"Hyosuke! Don't do anything rash!" Kazuki told him.

"But Lucy . . !"

"I don't think she'll be happy if she found out that we let this guy die. Now get over here!" Addei said, glaring threateningly at him. Hyosuke sighed in defeat and stepped away from their smirking opponent, but still continued on glaring at him.

"Dammit . . ." he muttered.

"Hyosuke-kun, calm yourself." Kiyomi said, making him sigh.

"But at this rate, we won't be able to help Lucy." Kazuki said. "And even if Natsu doesn't die now, he's bound to die later on. Because I doubt the prince will lift the spell later on."

"We're in a pinch." Addei muttered. "It doesn't even look like we'll be able to save either of them."

Kiyomi glanced at the clock. "11:32. We're running out of time."

"We have to make sure that Lucy isn't around that guy when midnight strikes." Addei told them. "Or else, we won't be able to save her. She's going to be his little puppet forever."

'_Just like Sebastian was . . ._' she thought.

"Oh my, now what could you possibly plan on doing?" Hidenori asked mockingly. "Now, if you dare take another step from where you are, I'll kill that man right now along with his other friends."

"God dammit, you son of a bitch!" Hyosuke yelled in anger and was about to charge on but Kiyomi and Kazuki held him back.

"Hyosuke-kun! Please! Restrain yourself!" Kiyomi cried.

"For fuck's sake, Hyosuke! Calm down!" Kazuki said through gritted teeth.

"_Heh, so that's what's happening, huh?_" Artemis muttered, hiding in the shadows. "_Well, ignoring that idiot over there, maybe I could do something about Lucy_."

Natsu tried his best to get back up on his feet, but he just couldn't. His whole body was numb and he felt pain coming from his chest that caused his while body to ache tremendously. The pain was excruciating and he even felt tears in his eyes but he forced them back. His whole body started trembling, she shut his eyes tight and he kept gasping for breath. But even so he continued to struggle to stand back up, causing the pain he felt to get worse.

Natsu was reminded of the time Ultear released the Second Origin in their magic before the Grand Magic Games. He might have felt great pain that time, but it was safe to say that that was nothing compared to what he was feeling right now. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as he tried to suppress another cry of pain. As he gasped to take a deep breath and calm himself, he started coughing blood.

"Natsu! Hang in there!" Happy told him, tears were forming on the corner of the cat's eyes as he watched his friend suffer. But Hidenori just laughed at the pitiful state the fire mage was in.

"You've caused quite a headache for me, dragon slayer!" he said, still smirking. "And now, you'll pay for it. I'll make you realize that going against me was a foolish act."

He pointed a palm at the fire mage, and then quickly closed it. The pain Natsu was feeling doubled, making him scream in pain, his cries could be heard throughout the whole castle. Hidenori just watched him suffer with a sadistic smirk.

"I'll make you suffer pain even worse than death!" he laughed.

"Natsu!" Happy cried.

"Why you . . !" Hyosuke struggled against Kiyomi and Kazuki's grip.

"Calm down, Hyosuke!" Addei ordered him.

"But why? We all know that he's going to kill Natsu later on anyway. He still needs a sacrifice for the ceremony to work, after all!" he yelled at her.

"I know that! But remember that there's still Erza and the other guys who're with Mia right now!"

"So what? You're just going to make us stand here and do nothing? Addei, he's going to kill everyone anyway! You know that!" he argued, and his words left Addei speechless. "You need to make a choice here! Are we just gonna stand here and let that bastard do what he wants, or are we gonna do something about it? Sacrifices are needed here, and you know it!"

"Hyosuke-kun, please! Addei's just trying to figure out a way to save _everyone_!" Kiyomi pleaded for him to calm himself. And although he did, Addei started considering the possibility that her friend might be right. Maybe they should just make the sacrifice and accept the fact that they can't save everyone. Someone had to die and make a sacrifice for everyone else. But the only thing clear right now is that they can't let Hidenori have Lucy. That thought made Addei glance at the fire mage who was on the ground and cringing in pain with his cat looking at him worriedly.

"But we can't let him die . . ." she muttered.

"We don't have a choice." Hyosuke retorted.

"Hyosuke-kun, don't say that! You don't know that for certain!" Kiyomi scolded lightly.

"Actually, Kiyomi, I'm with him on this one." Kazuki said, keeping his voice down and she just looked at him in shock. "Erza and the others will last. I'm sure of it. There are a lot of potions in the kitchen that can help delay the spell even if the prince speeds it up. But Natsu's not with them. We can't help him, and we don't really have the time to either. There's nothing we can do. We have to help Lucy."

Addei was about to be convinced. But even though she hadn't shown it in a long time, she had a conscience. She knew that Lucy loved Natsu dearly so it was just wrong to let him die like this.

"Guys . . . we can't just abandon him!" she tried to tell them.

"That's right!" Kiyomi nodded.

"It's either we let him die or we let Lucy go." Kazuki said straightforwardly, letting Addei get hit by the reality of the situation. It almost made her knees weak.

"Addei, Kiyomi, look; a lot of lives are at stake here. And the only one preventing us from saving them is one life." Hyosuke explained. "Which do you think is more important?"

Kiyomi didn't know what to say anymore, so she just looked at Addei and waited for her decision. She, on the other hand, was now utterly convinced. Although she felt guilty, she told herself that it was for the best. And like they said earlier, he was going to die anyway . . .

"That's it." her eyes widened in realization. "The others are safe now . . . and the prince . . . he can't kill Natsu!"

"Because he needs him as a sacrifice for the ceremony." their eyes widened as they spoke in unison.

"So all we have to do is beat this guy before midnight strikes." Kazuki shrugged.

"But you guys know the spell! Let's say that we did defeat the prince before midnight. There would still be casualties! On one hand, he'll be suffering the whole time, and his body might not be able to take it. He still might die after a couple of hours and there's nothing we can do about it." Kiyomi told them.

Addei groaned. "She's right."

"But then again, there's also a possibility that he could live." Kazuki told her.

"The chances of either of them happening are 50-50! We're gambling on the life of the man who Lucy loves the most!" she argued.

"Haven't you guys been listening to us this whole time? We have to take that chance!" Hyosuke said, making Addei think for a moment which made Kiyomi worried.

"A-Addei! Don't tell me you're actually considering this!"

"I suppose we don't have a choice, Kiyomi. I think these guys are right. Now let's go" Addei told them, and they all nodded. Kiyomi felt a little hesitant at first and glanced guiltily at Natsu, but then convinced herself that there was nothing she could do.

"W-wait! What are you guys planning?" Happy called out to them, a bit worried.

"We're going to save the princess." Addei simply replied with determination in her eyes. "Hand her over, Hidenori."

"You do realize that I'll kill this man if you even try to lay a finger on me, right?" he raised an eyebrow at them and Happy started to panic.

"G-guys! S-stop! Natsu might die!" he cried.

They were silent for a moment, feeling guilty about what they were about to do when Addei spoke up.

"It's for the best. Not all of us can live after all. Someone has to make a sacrifice." she said, frowning at the blue exceed. "And unfortunately, this man drew the short straw."

When she said that, Happy was just about ready to burst into to tears. He wanted to cry out and stop them, but for some reason he couldn't find his voice to speak. But even if he did manage to say something, he would probably have just went ignored as the four mages focused and Hidenori, determined to defeat him.

"A sacrifice, huh? Well then, I guess I don't have any use for him now." he smirked.

"No, you still need him for the ceremony." Addei scoffed. "A dragon slayer is necessary for it, isn't that right?"

"I see . . . so that's your plan, huh?"

"Yeah, we're not sacrificing him. If possible, we're trying to save him too." Kiyomi said, frowning a bit at her comrades but they just ignored her.

"You may not be sacrificing him . . . but you are gambling his life, aren't you?"

"That's what I said . . ." Kiyomi muttered.

"Focus." Addei snapped. "No more talking! We're wasting enough time, already!"

"I couldn't agree more . . ." he said and they all started fighting. Meanwhile, Happy went to Natsu's aid.

"Natsu! Hang in there! Y-you're going to be fine. You always are."

"Happy . . . wh-what's going on . . ? Are they . . ?" Natsu asked before coughing even more. He glanced around and saw the others fighting while Lucy just stood there. Even though the vines weren't wrapped around her anymore, she still didn't move a muscle.

"Th-they're . . ." Happy couldn't continue on. "I knew it! I knew we couldn't trust them! Th-they . . . It doesn't even look like they care if you die."

"Happy . . . d-don't worry. I'm sure I'll pull through . . ." he said.

"Y-yeah! I know you will!"

"Tch." Hidenori grew bored of fighting his current opponents. So with the snap of his hands, the same vines that captured Lucy wrapped itself around them and no matter how they struggled, they couldn't get away. Neither Addei's flames nor Kazuki's poison had any effect on the plant.

"11:54. Only a few minutes left . . ." he smirked and started approaching Natsu.

"This is bad." Hyosuke grumbled.

"Neko-chan! Get him out of here!" Kiyomi yelled.

"He can't. The doors were locked when Lucy was captured again, so nobody can get out of here. If that weren't the case then I would have made the cat take Natsu back to where Mia and the others were." Addei explained, feeling useless.

"Hey! We gotta do something!" Kazuki said as he continued on struggling.

"Isn't there some way we can escape this thing?" Addei asked.

"There's nothing I could think of." Kiyomi muttered.

"Don't bother. Escape is impossible." Hidenori told them as he stood right in front of a suffering Natsu and a trembling Happy.

"I-I'm n-n-not going to l-let you hurt Natsu!" the exceed bravely announced, though fear was still evident in his features. Hidenori's eyes narrowed and then a vine appeared right behind him and swatted Happy away like an insect. He crashed towards the wall and almost lost consciousness.

"How foolish . . ." he muttered. His attention was reverted back to Natsu when the fire mage started throwing up blood.

"Dammit, he's not going to last long!" Addei cried.

"How pitiful." Hidenori shook his head in pity but the smirk remained on his face. "You came here in hopes that you'll be able to help. But instead you're just being a burden."

Natsu could only glare at him. But it didn't have much effect since he was on his knees and being supported by his hands with blood covering his clothes. Hidenori just laughed at him.

"Now that I think about it, this had all been your fault, hasn't it? I mean, after all, I wouldn't have discovered the darkness in our young princess' heart if you hadn't snapped at her that faithful night." he said. His words made Natsu flinch from being reminded of the painful memory and he glared at him because of that. Hidenori got a little annoyed at the nasty look he was being given, and kicked him on the stomach causing him to cough up more blood.

"Natsu!" the others cried, but were able to do nothing to help.

"You were the cause of it all, weren't you? It had all been your fault. And I suppose this is what people would call 'karma'. You made her suffer and now you are suffering. You made her experience death, and now you're about to experience death as well." he continued on. "Well in any case, I should be thankful to you for everything that you've done. I a few weeks I'll be able to attack Fiore in full force, like never before. And I wouldn't have done that if it weren't for you . . ."

Natsu started trembling, maybe because of the fact that Hidenori was right. He had been blaming himself for what had happened, but he supposed that something like that wouldn't be able to be forgiven easily. His thoughts were interrupted when Hidenori started kicking him repeatedly.

"S-stop!" Kiyomi cried.

"Hey, leave him alone!" Hyosuke yelled.

"If you want to fight anyone then fight us!" Addei told him, but they all went ignored

"Well then, I guess this is the end." Hidenori laughed, raising a hand that was surrounded by his magic. "Natsu Dragneel."

"Natsu!" Happy cried.

"You better off dead from the start!"

Natsu's eyes widened, temporarily forgetting the pain he was feeling and thought of what Hidenori had just told him. And then he realized . . .

Maybe he _was_ better off dead.

* * *

**Well, I hope you guys liked this chapter. I've been receiving comments that Natsu shouldn't have been forgiven so easily. In past chapters, I've also mentioned that one of you mentioned that I made Lucy look cheap because of that. One of you even commented that he should suffer through hell or something. So here it is! To make up for everything.**

**Anyway, Please review ~ ! **

** ~ RnR ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**


	35. Defeated?

**Chapter 34 with 3,033 words.**

**I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Hidenori raised his hand and pointed his palm at Natsu, preparing to kill the man. Natsu could only lay there, on his side, and wait for what seemed like the inevitable. The only thing he could do right now was wait while glaring at Hidenori and thinking of all his friends who he let down.

"So long, Dragneel." He started laughing. "I can't say it's been nice knowing you!"

This is it.

Natsu braced himself as his life flashed before his eyes and waited for the blow that will end his life. And Hidenori was just about to send that blow, until he felt someone grab his wrist, pull him back and stop him.

Confused and a bit angered, he turned around to see who it was that stopped him and his emotions were replaced with pure shock when he saw Lucy. Her eyes were shadowed; one hand was hidden in her pocket while the other had an iron grip on his wrist. She also didn't look like that she was planning to let go anytime soon. Shock became anger once again as Hidenori tried get away from her.

"Lucy . . ?" Addei muttered, confused like the rest of them.

"Wh-what's going on?" Kiyomi asked.

"What are you doing?" Hidenori furiously asked her, but got no reply which only angered him even more. But since he couldn't hurt her because she was a crucial part in fulfilling his plans, he decided to just ignore her. But before he could even turn back to Natsu, he was stopped once again by Lucy. And what she did next shocked them all.

Lucy's grip on his hand grew tighter and she pulled him closer to her, when there was no more space between them, she looked him in the eye for a moment. Her eyes were filled with determination and she shut them tightly before pressing her lips against his.

Lucy had just kissed Hidenori.

Addei and Kazuki's eyes widened and twitched a little bit. Kiyomi managed to cover her mouth in shock, even though her limbs were still being held by the vines. Hyosuke and Happy both had their jaws dropped and they were even trembling slightly. And Natsu? His eyes were wide and he felt his heart breaking slightly . . . What the hell was going on? Even Hidenori was a bit shocked, but he later relaxed and just sinked in.

Only a few seconds later, clocks all around the castle rang signalling midnight.

"Wha- It's midnight!" Kiyomi yelled.

"This is bad." Addei muttered.

"It doesn't really have to be an actual wedding, right? A single kiss during midnight is more than enough. Then afterwards they'll just have to sacrifice the dragon slayer and the ceremony will be finished." Kazuki explained. "Lucy, while she was being controlled, must have realized that and started on with the ceremony."

After his explanation, Lucy began to glow brightly. Meanwhile Hidenori was surrounded by his black magic which turned him pitch black like a shadow. The light and dark magic started to expand upwards into two different beams of immense magical power and started circling around each other while still heading upwards. It still continued on even when it hit the castle's ceiling.

* * *

"Eh?" Mia looked around when she heard the clock chimes. The castle practically shook at the loud noise they were making.

"It's time . . ." Aeschylus muttered.

"Huh? What was that, Aeschy?"

"Nothing." He sighed before heading towards the hallway.

"Eh? Where are you going?" Mia asked. She was about to go after him when he stopped and just stood in the middle of the hallway in silence. "Aeschy? What's wrong?"

For a while he didn't reply and there was only silence. Until he finally said . . .

"I hope they're okay . . ." he spoke in almost a whisper and Mia almost missed it. "Artemis is there to help, so I guess there's nothing to worry about."

"Geez, what are you going on about?" Mia started to whine. "You're making _me_ worry here."

"Sorry . . . It's just that . . ."

"Just that . . ?"

". . . nevermind." He said. " How are they?"

"Well, for some reason their condition worsened a while ago but they should be okay n-" Mia's eyes widened when she looked back at her patients. "Wh-what the- ?"

"What is it, Mia?"

"Th-they're . . ." she frantically started to examine them, one-by-one. When she was finished, she looked at Aeschylus with a shocked but relieved expression. "Th-the spell's broken!"

* * *

"Wh-what's going on?" Wendy asked frantically. They all looked up and saw the two beams continue to rise until it hit the clouds. And when it did, the clouds turned red and a large magical circle appeared above the castle.

"What the . . ?" Hibiki answered. "It's a spell . . . for . . . lifting a curse?"

"Eh? Oi, what's going on? What does that mean?" Lisanna asked worriedly.

"Are the others alright?" Yukino asked.

"How am I supposed to know?" he replied, a bit annoyed. "We're just gonna have to trust them, hope for the best and do our job out here. That's all we can do for now."

"Alright! Everyone~! Keep up at it~!" Ichiya cried. "We're going to defeat every single soldier out here no matter what!"

"Roger!"

"Men~!"

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the throne room, Addei and the others were still in shock. They only snapped out of it when Lucy broke the kiss with Hidenori and silence filled the room for a while. Lucy stopped glowing and Hidenori also returned to normal. Both Lucy and Hidenori's eyes were shadowed, and her arm was wrapped around his shoulders. They remained like that for a while until Addei finally spoke.

"Strange . . . it should have lasted a bit longer . . ." she said.

"Lucy . . ." Natsu muttered.

"Sorry you had to see me do something like this, Natsu. But . . ." Lucy muttered. Then suddenly, Natsu noticed a few drops of certain type of liquid falling to the floor and his eyes widened when he realized what it was. "It was the only way."

Hidenori fell to his knees and started coughing; blood was staining his clothes at the abdominal area. And on Lucy's hand was a dagger with blood covering the edge of its blade. By that time, they've already realized what the blonde had done.

"Lucy . . !" Natsu struggled to get back up on his feet but he fell back down on the floor.

"I didn't want you to die . . ." she said before collapsing on her knees from exhaustion.

"Lucy!" he yelled.

"Lucy!" the former SSS members cried as well. But they stopped when they felt the vines around their limbs loosen.

"Wh-what . . ?" Kazuki asked, pulling his arms and easily freed himself.

"This thing's dying . . ." Addei muttered as she also noticed it starting to wither.

"But why?" Hyosuke asked, but it was a question none of them knew the answer to.

"Lucy!" Happy cried from behind the fire mage as the cat ran towards the two. "Are the two of you alright?"

"I'm fine. But Lucy- !"

"Hold on a second, Natsu. You seemed really hurt back there! Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah. Don't worry about me. I'm- " Natsu stopped and his eyes widened a bit.

"What is it?"

"That's strange. A while ago, it really hurt. It felt so painful that it was like I was going to die. But now . . . the pain's all gone." Natsu explained, and like Happy, he was also confused. But he immediately forgot about it and quickly went to Lucy's side, letting her rest on his shoulder while checking to see if she was hurt.

Meanwhile, Artemis stood next to the king's throne. Behind it were the roots of the vines which attacked Addei. But if someone were to look at it right now, they would see that the stem was cut which was the reason why the plant died. You can guess who did that. And you can also guess who it was that freed Lucy from Hidenori's spell, gave her the dagger and told her what to do.

"_For this whole ceremony to be a success, a mage of darkness and a mage of light are needed along with the power of a dragon slayer for a sacrifice. The two mages will create a bond with each other that will cause their magic to mix together. That mixed power will work in a similar way as a key while Visna's curse is the locked door that traps us in this damned country. And then the dragon slayer will serve as the force to turn that key. But in order for that to happen, it'll take every single drop of magical power inside a dragon slayer. Therefore, the dragon slayer serves as a sacrifice_." Artemis explained while she sat on the throne, chuckling a bit at the sight of the prince on his knees. "_That kind of goes the same for the light and dark mage too. It'll take all their power to create that key. But unlike the dragon slayer, they don't have to die. But they could if they're not strong enough. That's the reason why it took so much time in finding a suitable person to fit the role for the mage of light_."

Artemis stood up and headed over to where Lucy and Natsu were. Oddly enough, nobody still hasn't seemed to have noticed her. But it was a bit understandable since she was a shadow and they were in a dark room.

"_Both mages need as much power as possible. And for that reason, the spells Hidenori cast on Erza and the others were broken so he can use it to make the_ key. _That happened without him even realizing it_." Artemis sighed before she continued on. "_In the end, the ceremony started because we wanted to stop it. Well, I guess it's alright as long as this fire freak stays alive_. _Although I've got to admit, that sure was a close one. That Adora . . . she hesitated. I got really worried since she might back out_."

"Eh?" Happy looked around when he sensed someone around.

"What's wrong Happy?" Natsu asked.

"Ne, Natsu. Did you hear something?"

"Hear something . . ? No, not really. Why?"

" . . . nothing. Nevermind."

Artemis burst out in laughter upon over-hearing the conversation. "_What the hell am I doing explaining everything when no one can even hear me_? _I don't even know how in the hell Lucy managed to hear me_."

Back with Hidenori, he was still coughing and clutching his stomach. But soon after, he got back up on his feet. Although he was hurt, it wasn't enough to bring him down.

"That little bitch . . ." he muttered. "But it doesn't matter. All I have to do know is to kill that dragon slayer and all my plans will be a success."

"Not so fast!" Kazuki yelled, appearing from behind Hidenori and kicking him from behind. The Prince coughed up more blood before he was sent flying to the wall. He wasn't able to get up immediately, so he sat there still clutching his stomach and cringing in pain.

"Give up." Addei said. "The tables have turned now. You have a serious wound and your magic was drained from what you did just now."

As Addei, Hyosuke and Kazuki glared at Hidenori while emitting an aura of sheer killing intent, Kiyomi went to Lucy's aid.

"Is she hurt?" she asked Natsu.

"No. It looks like she's just tired, that's all."

"Is that so? Thank goodness." Kiyomi sighed in relief, then there was a silence between them before Natsu shifted Lucy to Kiyomi.

"Take care of her." He told her.

"Eh? Why?"

"I can't let her efforts go to waste. I'm beating this guy up. And besides . . ." Natsu cracked his knuckles as he somehow managed to regain his all of his energy. "Nobody wants to beat this guy up more than I do."

Kiyomi wasn't able to reply so she just smiled at him and held on to Lucy protectively. But then, Lucy stretched out a hand at Natsu as he walked away from them.

"No . . . don't let him . . ." she spoke as tears started to fill her eyes. "I don't want to lose him . . ."

"Don't worry, Lucy." Kiyomi embraced her. "You did a great job back there. Hidenori's been weakened greatly. They'll surely be able to win."

"R . . . really . . ?"

"Yeah. You can count on it!" Kiyomi smiled, her eyes filled with determination and hope.

". . . Thank goodness." Lucy said. She really did seem exhausted, and she was also losing consciousness. But she forced herself to stay awake since she needed to know more. "Erza and the others . . ."

"_Don't worry._" Artemis spoke from behind Kiyomi. "_They're alright. I just went to check up on them. Galan also found your other friends. They're all together back at the kitchen_."

"I see . . ."

"Eh? Lucy? What is it?" Kiyomi asked, confused since she couldn't hear Artemis and wasn't even aware that she was here. But Lucy wasn't able to answer her as she drifted off to unconsciousness. Kiyomi just sighed

"Natsu! Go beat him up!" Happy cried.

"Yeah! Leave it to me!"

"Don't underestimate me! I don't need my full power to defeat all of you!" Hidenori yelled before the trio were engulfed in shadows that came from beneath them.

"Maybe you don't." Natsu said before setting the shadows on fire, freeing the three who were almost trapped inside of it. "But you do need it if you don't want to be beaten by us."

"Nice one, Dragneel!" Addei said, summoning her flames. "Do you need a boost? Lucy said that you had a thing for for flames."

"Yeah!" Natsu grinned before consuming all of the flames.

"Well then, we'll finish this once and for all." Kazuki said.

"Yeah." Hyosuke nodded. "This next attack is for lying to us."

"For tricking us and to spend all these years working for you." Kazuki added.

"For everyone we love who died and suffered because of you." Addei said, and Natsu finished his little snack and was full energize. So he stepped up at the front of the group.

"For everyone back at Fiore waiting for us. And for everyone here who worked so hard for this mission." he said.

**"We're giving it all we've got!**" they all yelled.

* * *

An explosion resounded throughout the hallways, making Gray look up from his place at the kitchen next to Erza.

"Is something wrong?" Erza, who had regained consciousness only moments ago, asked.

"I thought I just heard something . . . Was it my imagination?"

"It's probably Artemis and the others." Aeschylus told them. "It makes me kind of worried."

"Don't worry. I'm sure they're fine." Mia reassured them.

"Maybe we should go and help out . . ." Minerva said, standing up.

"Don't be ridiculous. You're injured and you'll just be a burden if you go there." Mia scoffed.

"What did you say, brat!" the two continued to argue while the others tried to calm the both of them. Meanwhile, Aeschylus just ignored them.

'_I hope everyone's okay . . ._' he thought.

* * *

Natsu and the others started panting. Although it was just one attack for the each of them, they used up a lot of their magic so they were pretty worn out.

Smoke surrounded the area where Hidenori once stood. And when it cleared, it revealed him, pretty battered up and motionless. They stood there for a while to make sure he wasn't bluffing. But after a few minutes, they finally sighed in relief. Hidenori was defeated. The king was dead. The Evil reign of Visna's royal family was over.

Kiyomi's eyes widened at the sight, along with Happy. They were all in shock at first, but overcame it a few moments later.

"We won . . ." Kazuki muttered, not believing it at first. "We won!"

Hyosuke laughed along with him, but then they stopped and winced as their wounds from the previous battle got worse.

"Take it easy, you two." Addei told them. "In any case, good work. Let's go back to the others."

Kiyomi couldn't believe her ears when Addei had said that. "R-really . . ? Is it really over? We're free?"

Addei giggled. "Yeah. We're free, alright."

Kiyomi could've cheered and jumped up and down in joy if she hadn't had Lucy in her arms right now. So there were only her tears of joy falling down her cheeks to express her emotions.

"Let's go." Addei told them. But on the other hand, Natsu wasn't quite comfortable with it. He just had some strange feeling that it all seemed a bit too easy. And his suspicions were correct when Hidenori struggle back up on his feet.

"Oi! Hold on! It's not over yet." Natsu told them.

"Eh? It can't be! He took on poison from Kazuki, Hyosuke's power and almost got burned to a crisp by our flames!" Addei's eyes widened as she watched Hidenori stand up.

"Give up! You're way too injured to even hope that you could beat us!" Hyosuke said. Hidenori was only silent and panted for a while before chuckling.

"You may be right. However . . ." Numerous magic circles appeared above him. "If I'm going to die then I might as well take you all with me!"

"Th-that's- !" Kiyomi yelled.

"No way! You still have that much magical power?" Addei asked in shock.

"What's going on?" Natsu asked, a bit confused.

"That spell brings death to the user and to everyone around him. Ningen Bakudan." Hyosuke explained. "A spell that turns the user into a bomb!"

"What?" Natsu and Happy cried in shock.

"The explosion would be enough to take this whole castle down! We need to get out of here!" Kazuki yelled.

"Too late." Hidenori said.

* * *

**Well, I hope you liked it. I'm sorry if it seems like I'm rushing the ending. But I just wasn't in the mood for action scenes. And other than that, I wasn't really sure how I would get them to defeat Hidenori. I guess I made him a bit too powerful. So I decided with deception. And this way, Natsu still has his karma since he saw Lucy kissing another guy right in front of him. In any case, I'm so sorry. And anyway, as you can tell, this story is reaching its end. Please keep up with the support!**

**Ningen Bakudan is a japanese word that literally means human bomb. It sounded cooler that way.**

**I'm sorry for all of the mistakes. **

**Please review ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**


	36. It's over?

**This is it people! The story's ending! This chapter's got 3,049 words.**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

There was an explosion that engulfed the whole castle into flames, shocking everyone who was outside.

"Wh-wha . . ?" Hibiki's eyes widened.

"Th-the castle!" Jenny cried out.

"N-no way! E-everyone . . !" Wendy was in shock and she felt like bursting to tears at that very moment.

"Oi! What's going on?" A soldier of Visna cried out.

"Th-the castle! H-his Majesty is still in there!"

"We have to save him?"

"But how? We can't even get in!"

"The Seven Sinful Souls must've done this!"

"Wha? What are we going to do? We can't possibly take them on!"

"These guys alone are too much to handle!

"Retreat! Get out of here!"

"To where? The castle's burning!"

"Anywhere! We just have to get out of here!"

All of the soldiers dispersed, stopping their attacks on Christina and running away until they disappeared from sight. But the mages of Fiore couldn't care less about this and only watched the castle, waiting for any sign of life.

"What happened to them?" Lisanna asked.

"C-could it be that they . . ?" Yuka trailed off

"No! That's impossible!" Wendy cried. "That would mean . . . that they failed."

"Th-there's no way that something like that could ever happen. I-I mean, Jura was with them!" Sherry said.

"Then, where are they?" Ren asked.

There was a silence as they all just stared at the burning castle while they continued to worry for their comrades. A few minutes have passed and nobody has still left the building and they all started to expect the worst.

"M-Maybe they got out before the explosion." Lisanna suggested.

"If they did, we would have heard of them by now." Hibiki said. "We're high up in the sky and we should be seen by anyone from miles away. If they were already out of that building, they would've tried to catch our attention."

"No way . . ." Tears started to fall from the young Sky Dragon Slayers eyes.

"B-but- ! There's no way that something bad could happen to them, right?" Lisanna tried to convince them along with herself. But deep down she coulnd't deny the facts and tears started to fill her eyes.

They remained silent for a couple more minutes, all of them were worried about their comrades that were inside the burning castle. The longer they stood there, the more their grip started to loosen on the hope that their friends were still alive and alright.

"Ah, guys! Look over there!" Toby cried out. When they turned to see what it was, they saw a shadow in one of the windows of the castle. Even though they were a great distance away, it was still visible through the burning flames. The longer they stared at it, the more they realized that it was a silhouette of a human being.

"Is someone there?" Eve asked.

"I can't see who it is." Yukino said.

"Perhaps we have a survivor!" Ichiya yelled.

"But who is it?" Hibiki asked. They all just stared at the shadow, waiting for it to move and reveal itself. But it just stood perfectly still.

"What the hell is with that guy?" Jenny scoffed.

"Maybe he still doesn't realize that we're here. He hasn't taken a peek outside after all." Lisanna said.

"Is there any chance that we can get a bit closer?" Yukino asked.

"Men~!" Ichiya cried out as the trimens went to steer Cristina. "Let's go save our comrades!"

"Yes, Aniki!" they said before Cristina headed over to the castle.

"H-hey! Is this alright?" Jenny asked.

"Do not worry." Ichiya told them. "The new Cristina is designed to be able to withstand flames."

"That's not what we should worry about!" Sherry yelled. "What about _us_? Will _we_ be safe?"

"Hopefully."

"_Hopefully_?" she yelled in disbelief.

"Take cover everyone!" Ichiya yelled, causing everyone to scream in panic and tried to tell them to stop the ship. Unfortunately, the trimens were all determined to get as near to the castle as possible, thinking that everybody aboard would be fine.

But when they were about a few feet above the ground and a couple of yards away from the castle, the shadow suddenly moved and jumped towards the ship. Everyone was in a state of confusion and panic as to what was it.

"Wait a minute . . ." Lisanna said. "Could it be?"

The silhouette stood in the middle of the group for a while with its glowing and piercing green eyes staring at them.

"H-hey . . . isn't that . . ?"Hibiki trailed off.

The shadow started to expand into a large circle, and inside it they could see more silhouettes that seemed very familiar. The shadow returned to its normal human sized and next to it were everyone who went into the castle earlier. They were all fine and alive, although some of them were unconscious and injured.

"Everyone!" Wendy cried out in relief.

"Thank goodness." Lisanna sighed in relief.

"Honestly, you had as worrying back there." Jenny scoffed.

"Shelia!" Sherry ran and embraced her cousin.

"Geez . . ." Lyon sighed.

"_Damn that was close_!" Artemis yelled.

"Thanks, Artemis." Aeschylus said.

"We owe you!" Mia added.

"You sure were fast." Addei said. "You even managed to save every one of us inside."

"_Heh, you idiots shouldn't underestimate me, you know_." Artemis scoffed.

"I-is everybody alive?" Hyosuke asked.

"Isn't it supposed to be 'is everybody alright'?" Charle asked.

"Are you kidding me? We just fought a fucking demon and barely escaped an explosion while everybody out here was dealing with hundreds of soldiers. There's no way anybody's alright." Hyosuke replied.

"I'm alive!" Kiyomi said. "And so is Lucy."

"I'm alive and so are Erza and the others." Mia said since her patients were all unconscious.

"Good. It looks like we all made it."Addei sighed as everyone stood up. "Well then, we should probably get the wounded some medical attention."

"Ah, leave it to me!" Wendy said.

"Oi, hold on a second." Gray said. "Just what happened?"

"Oh, you mean that?" Addei asked, looking at the burning castle. "The former prince of Visna, Hidenori did this."

"Ah, him?"

"What happened to him?" Minerva asked, stepping up in front of Gray.

"You can tell by the fact that we're alive that we managed to beat him." Addei stated simply. "But he was so stubborn that he wanted to take us to hell with him. Thank God that little stunt of his failed."

"Wait a minute, that means . . ." Gray trailed off.

Silence.

They soon started cheering at the news.

"Mission accomplish!" Shelia cheered.

"Finally, it's all over." Yukino sighed.

"It took a lot of hard work, but we finally succeeded." Rufus said.

"Oi! You barely did anything in there!" Gray complained.

"Now now, it's nothing to get all worked up about."

"You bastard . . !"

Meanwhile, Erza and the others, including Lucy, started to wake up.

"Ah, Lucy!" Kiyomi was filled with relief.

"Erza! The others!" Mia cheered.

"Oi! What the hell do you mean by 'the others'?" Laxus asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Is everyone alright?" Hibiki asked, followed by grunts of approval. "Well, that's good."

"Lucy-san . . ." Yukino knelt down beside the blonde. "Thank goodness you're alright."

"Yeah." she nodded.

"Your keys . . ." the Sabertooth mage took most of the keys she had on her belt and gave it to her.

"Ah, yeah. Thank you so much for taking care of them, Yukino."

"Don't mention it." she smiled back. "They really missed you."

Lucy giggled. "I bet they did."

The ones who had been under Hidenori's spell started groaning in pain, especially Natsu.

"Dammit, I thought that it was lifted." Natsu muttered.

"It's your fault, you know." Kiyomi scoffed. "Going on a fight like that and using such a powerful attack after you've just nearly faced death. What were you thinking?"

"I had to beat that bastard up!"

"We could've done it for you!"

"No you couldn't!"

"Yes we could!"

"Well, maybe. But it wouldn't be the same if I didn't do it myself!"

"You're an idiot!"

"Yeah . . . he sure is." all of the Fairy Tail mages, except for Wendy, said in unison.

"What did you say?" Natsu yelled in anger.

"Well, everyone in Fairy Tail is like that, no?" Lyon asked.

"They_ are_ known for causing a lot of trouble." Minerva added.

"Says the strongest mage of the _second_ strongest guild in Fiore . . ." Erza muttered.

"I'm sorry, _what_ was that?" Minerva asked in anger.

"You heard me. You have no right to insult our guild when you're just number two." the titania glared at her.

"Oh please. You're guild may be impressive, but you've got nothing to be proud of!"

"What?"

"I'm the strongest mage of my guild while you're just the strongest_ female_. What's wrong? Can't even handle a bunch of idiots?"

"Hey!" Laxus, Natsu, Gray and Gajeel yelled.

"Now now, miss. We should be celebrating the success of our mission instead of looking for unnecessary fights." Rufus said as he and the other men of Sabertooth tried to calm her down.

"It's good to see that you're alright, Jura-san, Shelia." Lyon said, ignoring the Fairy Tail and Sabertooth mages.

"Is it just me or does it seem like we didn't just almost get killed?" Addei asked.

"Aye! That's how we are!" Happy replied, making the woman chuckle.

"Well then, since our missions is over, let's all go back home!" Ichiya said and they all cheered as the trimens stirred their way out of the kingdom of Visna.

"Ah, Addei-san. You're all coming with us, right?" Lucy asked.

"Eh? Well . . . now that I think about it, is that okay?"

"I mean, we're from the country that tried to take over your kingdom, right?" Hyosuke said.

"Don't worry about that." Jura said, stepping up. "We wouldn't have been able to complete our mission without your help, after all."

"That's right." Erza nodded. "If you ever face any problems with the government, we'll gladly help you out."

"Hmph. Well, I guess we do owe you for what that. And I don't really like being indebted to someone, so . . . we'll try to help out too." Minerva crossed her arms

"If Jura thinks that it's alright, then it'll be alright." Lyon said with the rest of his guild mates smiling next to him.

"Men~! From now on we are united by the parfume known as friendship!" Ichiya announced.

The former SSS stared at them in shock. They didn't really expect forgiveness and acceptance to be easily given. But they were glad.

"Well damn, thanks!" Hyosuke grinned.

"Hyosuke-kun! That's not the proper way to thank someone!" Kiyomi scolded him.

"Yay~! We can be with Adora-chan!" Mia cheered.

"Like I said, call me Lucy."

"In any case, thank you." Addei bowed.

"Ne, Lucy! Can we join your guild too?" Mia asked.

"Sure! It's okay, right?" Lucy said, turning to Erza.

"Yes. I'm sure Master won't have any problems with that."

"More importantly, they'll probably be too busy celebrating the fact that you're still alive." Lisanna said.

"Yeah!" Natsu cheered, swinging an arm around her shoulders.

"Even now I'm still kind of surprised . . ." Gray muttered.

"Other than Lucy, we're also going home with more nakama . . ." Erza sighed. "I'm sure everyone will be very happy.

"Yay! Isn't that great, Aeschy?" Mia cheered.

"Yeah . . ."

"_You can work on your goal there_." Artemis told him.

"And I can work on mine." Galan added.

"_I told you, it's impossible! How can you achieve something without working for it?_"

"It could happen . . ."

Everyone started celebrating the success of the mission and they were all excited to go home. They really looked like they were all having a good time, and what happened in the castle of Visna seemed like something that occurred a long time ago. Addei and Kazuki just watched everyone celebrate, not really feeling like they were in the mood for any festivities.

"Isn't that great?" Addei asked. "After years of darkness and grief, we just might have found the light that will bring us peace."

"Yeah . . ." Kazuki nodded, watching both Lucy and Natsu as they enjoyed themselves with their friends. His eyes narrowed a bit, but he was still happy for her. "Is it . . . really over?"

Addei paused for a moment while they felt the cold breeze of the night air. "Who knows . . ?"

The celebration continued until it was interrupted by Hibiki's announcement.

"Everyone! We're reaching the country's border! We're officially leaving this place!"

"Well, can't say that I'll miss this place." Minerva scoffed.

"It's nice to know that it's all finally over." Erza sighed.

_The clouds were as dark as always and they've already gotten used to the dark, evil and terrifying atmosphere that always surrounded them. They have faced opponents that have done cruel and inhuman things, and yet there they were. They were all alive and the long battle was over. They had won._

_But soon they'll be going home to their beloved country and all that's happened so far will be nothing more than a distant memory. They were leaving the place that made them feel like they were in a terrifying nightmare. They were going to return to all their friends who were waiting for them and are probably worried about their well-being. Who wouldn't be? Their opponents had been as powerful as the rumors say. It was a miracle that they succeeded the mission._

_They couldn't wait to go back to their peaceful and happy lives, away from the darkness of the past. And they've brought with them friends who couldn't wait to start a new life, hoping to forget all of the darkness they've had for most of their lives. And hopefully, they will. Because beyond the borders of the kingdom of nightmares and darkness was a kingdom of new beginnings and hope._

Lucy was excited and stared straight ahead where, although it was still cloudy, the sky still wasn't so dark. She just couldn't wait to go back home again. Her smile couldn't be wiped off of her face right now. She felt incredible happiness as she watched her friends mess around. How she missed them dearly.

"Aeschy, is anything wrong?" she heard Mia say so she turned around and saw Aeschylus trembling on the corner.

"M-Mia . . ."

"What's wrong?" Addei asked.

"If you're hungry, then you'll have to wait until we arrive to wherever we're going." Kazuki said. "There's no kitchen in this place, so I can't whip you up any grub."

"That's obviously not the issue here!" Mia said with a hint of annoyance.

"Let him be. He's probably just scared of what's going to happen." Hyosuke scoffed.

"That's so cruel, Hyosuke-kun." Kiyomi said as she, along with Mia and Galan, tried to give as much comfort to Aeschylus as possible. Lucy couldn't help but smile at them as well. It was nice to know that they were going to be together.

_It's just so unfortunate . . ._

"Seriously, Aeschylus. Pull yourself together!" Hyosuke yelled at him. Aeschylus was trembling at a corner with both of his hands cupping his ears while tears started to fill his eyes.

"Oi! Don't be so mean to him!" Mia yelled.

"That's right, Hyosuke-kun! You should apologize!"

"N-no!" Aeschylus suddenly blurted out. "It can't be . . . w-we can't leave . . !"

"Eh?" they asked.

_Fate was always against them . . ._

"What are you talking about, Aeschylus?" Hyosuke asked.

"Yeah! We were given the chance to start over after everything that's happened!" Mia said

"Did you leave something important behind or something like that?" Kiyomi asked.

"No! That's not what I meant!" Aeschylus yelled, shocking them.

"Oi, what's going on here?" Erza asked, approaching them.

_Fate was always so cruel . . ._

Lucy felt a sudden pressure from behind her, coming from the direction of Visna's border. It felt like something was pushing her away from it with great force, but she tried to stand her ground.

"Wh-wha . . ?" it seems like the SSS felt the same pressure.

"We can't leave!" Aeschylus cried out, gaining everyone's attention. "H-he . . ."

_They had come so close to waking up._

"He won't let us leave!" he cried out.

That's when Lucy felt something from behind. It was as if she hit a wall, and upon impact, there was an explosion. Although it wasn't strong enough to harm anyone around her, it was enough to send her flying away from the ship.

"LUCY!"

_But it looks like they just won't be able to escape this hellish nightmare so easily . . ._

Soon, Addei and the rest one-by-one went through the same thing as Lucy did and were all sent tumbling all the way down to the ground.

"Oi! Stop the ship! We have to make an emergency landing!" Minerva cried out as they all started to panic.

"What happened?" Hibiki asked.

"I don't know . . . they just suddenly . . ."

"LUCY!" the celestial spirits closest friends started to cry out desperately. Although their cries reached their friend's ears, there was nothing she could do.

_It was true that the battle was over, they have already overcome all obstacles. They defeated their enemy and even gained friends. But it wasn't the end yet. Only the battle was over. There's only one last obstacle they have to face._

_Only one last challenge they have to accept. Only after that can they go home and achieve their happiness. But the price for their happiness was high. They would have to make sacrifices._

_The world was against them. Fate was so cruel. And they were trapped in the darkness with no light to guide them. _

_What will they do?_

* * *

**Yeah, I said that the story was ending. But it's not ending NOW. There's only about three chapters to go before we wrap things up and say good bye to L&S. And until then, please continue your support! All questions will be answered in the next chapter but feel free to ask, anyway.**

**Please review ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**


	37. See you

**Quite a long chapter I've got here. 3,616 words. No wonder it took me some time to finish it. Sorry for the wait.**

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

Lucy was about to lose consciousness when she suddenly heard the desperate cries of her friends. She struggled to get up, but her head ached tremendously, making it difficult for her.

"Lucy!" she shot her head up and saw Kazuki, hurrying towards her with a worried expression. He knelt down beside her and helped her up into a sitting position.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Y-yeah . . . what happened?"

"I'm not really sure myself. It kind of felt like we hit something that made us fall off the ship." Kazuki frowned. "In any case, we better go. The others are searching for us, and their probably worried about you."

Kazuki helped her stand back up, although it was a bit difficult for her to stay that way for a moment because of her headache. But soon, she felt alright once again and they made their way towards the border where the mages of Fiore were running towards her and crying out her name. Once she saw them, Lucy immediately ran towards them as well.

"Everyone!"

"Hold on! Lucy!" Kazuki cried out but it was too late. One second she was running towards them, the next she was sent flying away. Luckily, Kazuki managed to catch her so she wasn't hurt. But the headache she had earlier returned.

"Oi! Are you alright? Lucy!" he shook her a bit, feeling worried.

"What's going on?" Addei suddenly appeared from the bushed, a little scraped but was okay. Next to her was Kiyomi and Hyosuke with his arm wrapped protectively around her.

"I'm not really sure, but . . . I think we're trapped."

"What? But that's impossible!" Addei walked a few steps forward, to the direction where the others were at. She then reached out a hand to feel if there was something there. And sure enough, she felt a sudden pain surge on her fingers, as if they were electrocuted and she quickly retracted her arm.

"What . . ?" she asked in a mixture of shock and confusion. "But why . . ?"

"Guys!" Erza yelled out, running towards them.

"Ah, wait! Erza!" Addei tried to stop her, but she was too late. As Erza ran towards them, she suddenly hit something that made her fall down on her butt and she rubbed her head in pain.

"Well, it looks like nobody can come in or out . . ." Kazuki muttered.

"But . . ! Didn't _they_ managed to get out a while ago?" Lucy asked, still a bit shocked as she tried to cling onto her false hope and deny the possibility that they may not be able to escape this nightmare.

"What's going on . . ?"

"Hyosuke-kun, will we be alright . . ?" Kiyomi asked him, to which he only patted her head in an attempt to comfort her.

"Don't worry, Kiyomi. I'm sure we'll manage."

"Oi! What the hell?" Natsu asked, pressing his hands against the invisible wall that was preventing anyone from getting in or out. Meanwhile, Gray was helping Erza get back up on her feet, not that she needed any. Right now, there were team Natsu along with Yukino, Wendy and Lisanna there while the others had decided to wait in Cristina.

"Th-the curse . . ." Aeschylus said, suddenly appearing with Galan and Mira guiding and helping him through the large trees and bushes of the forest since he was still trembling and his knees seemed so week that he's even having trouble standing up. In fact, once they were with the others , he collapsed down to his knees and was in all fours, staring at the ground since he couldn't bear to look at them.

"What . . ? The curse? The curse of this kingdom?" Addei asked in disbelief. "B-but- ! W-we defeated the royal family! The kingdom of Visna has fallen! So then, why . . ?"

"Just because both the king and the prince were defeated, it doesn't mean the curse will be lifted." Aeschylus told her. "The ceremony was partly completed, and that's the only reason why the others managed to escape this country. But it's also the reason why they can't get back in."

"What?" Erza asked.

"Before, it was plain and simple. Anyone can go in but no one can go out. But then Lucy started the ceremony, and the curse changed. It was supposed to be lifted, but since the ceremony wasn't finished, the curse just changed." Aeschylus explained.

"Judging by the situation, it looks like now, it's preventing anyone from getting in or getting out." Galan added.

"But . . . _we_ were able to leave." Yukino argued.

"That's because you guys weren't cursed to begin with." Aeschylus said, not moving from his position and he even started trembling. "Every single person in this kingdom who lives here is cursed, it doesn't matter if they use magic or not. That's why we can't leave . . . However is born in this country automatically receives the same curse."

"C-curse . . ?" Lisanna asked. She, like everyone else, had a bad feeling about it.

"We're cursed to imprisonment . . ." he added, finally looking up at them. "The moment we were born in this cursed country, we have already been cursed to imprisonment and have been rid of our freedom. And ever since the prince cast that spell on Lucy that gave her powers, she, too, became cursed."

"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Hyosuke asked in anger.

"Oi! Don't be so harsh on him!" Mia scowled.

"That's right, Hyosuke-kun . . ."

"I-I couldn't be sure . . ." Aeschylus muttered before he started trembling once again, tears started forming in his eyes. "I'm sorry!"

"_Aeschylus! Man up, will you_?!" Artemis yelled at him.

"But, that means . . ." Lucy muttered then looking at all her friends, her eyes filled with a mixture of horror and sadness.

"I-isn't there any way you guys can get out of there?" Gray asked.

"Well . . . we could continue on with the ceremony and just sacrifice a dragon slayer . . ." Galan said, as emotionless as ever.

"Oi! What are you saying, Galan?" Kazuki hissed.

"They asked. It's only natural for us to answer, right?" he replied, his eyes narrowing and Kazuki glared at him.

"Enough, you two!" Addei commanded them before turning her attention to the Envious Soul of the former SSS. "Aeschylus, if I remember correctly, you managed to leave this country along with a lot of other soldiers."

"Ah, that's right! There must be some way, right?" Natsu said. "Tell us how did you guys get out of this place back then!"

"That . . ." he muttered, standing back up but still looking away from them. "We paid a heavy price for that."

"What? What is it?" Mia asked and they all waited in anticipation for his answer.

"The price we had to pay was . . . a life."

Their eyes widened at this.

"Wh-what . . ?" Wendy asked. "No way . . ."

"For every person that will leave this place, a life must be offered before they'll be able to go." Aeschylus said, clenching his fist as they started shaking. "And it's only temporary, too. After a month, we had to return back here or else our bodies will be destroyed . . . that's the curse."

They were all frozen in shock by this and none of the could even bring themselves to speak. So Aeschylus continued on.

"There's no way to truly escape this place . . . no matter what you do, it's absolutely impossible . . . I'm so sorry." he said and Galan patted his shoulder to offer him comfort while the others were still in shock and was still unable to speak. Until finally, Erza fell down to her knees.

"No way . . ." she muttered as tears fell from her eyes. "Do you mean to say that no matter what we do, we can't get you out of there? All of you . . . are going to have to spend the rest of your lives in this place . . ?"

Wendy and Lisanna's tears started to roll down their cheeks, despite their best efforts to keep them from falling. Yukino had a frown on her face as she clenched her fists and gritted her teeth in frustration. And then there were Gray and Natsu who's eyes were still wide in shock as they still tried to process every word Aeschylus just said.

Lucy, herself, was on the verge of crying as Kiyomi comforted and supported her so she won't fall to her knees just like Erza had.

"Lucy . . ." she muttered.

"H-hold on a moment!" Erza yelled, immediately getting back up. "H-how do we know that's the only way? There has to be another!"

"Th-that's right! C-C'mon! There has to be some way to get you guys out of there." Gray nodded.

"Give it up. There's no hope for us." Aeschylus told them.

"Don't give up now. We still have hope!" Natsu added, his voice rising. "If you're giving up right now so easily, then that means that you just don't care!"

"_Bastard_ . . ." Artemis hissed, feeling pissed at what the fire mage had just said. "_What the hell did he just say_?!"

"If there was another way, then we would have used that instead of killing hundreds of innocent people!" Aeschylus yelled at them, feeling just as angry as Artemis and also shocking most of his team mates.

"Well, how do you know that there isn't another and you guys just didn't know about it?" Natsu asked, his anger increasing as his body started top heat up and it seemed he was about to burst into flames any second.

"Even if there was, how do you plan on finding out such a method?" Aeschylus retorted.

"A-Aeschy . . ." Mia tugged on his sleeve, but he seemed to be so angry right now that he just ignored her.

"Whatever it takes, one way or another, we_ will_ find a way!" Natsu said.

"It took the smartest and most skilled people of our kingdom years to finally figure out a way to temporarily be able to escape this place! What the hell do you think you can do?!"

"None of that matters! We're going to get each and every one of you out there no matter what!"

"Like I said, that's impossible!"

"Don't say that!" Erza yelled. "There has to be a way! There has to be!"

"That's enough, Erza!" Mia told her.

"Shut up! Are you just going to accept all of this?!"

"All I'm saying is that we should be reasonable! Just calm down for a second and think things through."

"How the hell can you calm down at a situation like this?!" Gray asked.

"Oi! This isn't the time to be argue." Kiyomi said.

"Shut up! You're the ones who can't get a clue on the gravity of the situation!" the ice mage yelled at her.

"Hey! Don't talk to her like that!" Hyosuke glared at him.

"You guys need to calm down right now!" Kazuki yelled.

"Shut up, you bastard!" Natsu yelled back.

"This isn't the time to be arguing!"

"Well then, what do you suggest we do?"

"You bastards were the one who told us to just give it up!"

"Aeschy was just stating facts!"

"Shut up! It's not like he knows anything!"

"I know more than enough!"

"From what you told us, you don't know anything!"

"Stop this! You guys have got to face the reality of the situation!"

"And what? Are you suggesting that we leave a comrade behind?"

"Well . . ."

"ENOUGH!" Addei yelled, silencing them.

"Everyone . . . calm down." Lucy said, although she was trembling and her eyes were shadowed.

"Look . . . we don't have a choice here . . ." Addei said through gritted teeth as she also started to tremble slightly. "I think that Erza and the other two may have a point. There could be another way."

"Addei! You know that the chances of that happening is next to impossible! Even if there had been a way, how in the world are they supposed to find it?" Aeschylus asked.

"There are a lot of capable and knowledgeable mages back at their country!" she answered, silencing them. Erza and the others felt a sudden ray of hope.

"So then . . . what do we do now?" Erza asked. Addei didn't want to answer that because she was afraid of their reactions and paused for a moment. But in the end, she had to break out the truth to them.

"Erza, you may not like it but . . ." Addei took a deep breath and sighed. "You're gonna have to leave us here and go back to your homeland."

"What?" Erza asked and they soon started glaring at the woman. The rest of the SSS sighed, since they knew from the start that this was the only way. Even Lucy knew, so they all gave her concerned glances.

"D-don't be stupid! There's no way that we could ever do something like that!" Natsu yelled at them.

"Lucy's our comrade! Our friend! There's no way that we could ever leave her behind!" Gray added.

"What choice do you have?!" Addei snapped at them. "Look, I know that it's going to be hard for you to be away from Lucy again! Especially after everything that's happened! But if you guys just stay here, nothing will come of it! There's a bigger chance for you to be able to save her back at Fiore!"

Team Natsu became silent for a moment, realizing that Addei was right. But they just couldn't bring it to themselves to admit it.

"There's another way, isn't there?: Natsu suddenly said, catching their attention. "One that we know of."

"Eh?" Addei asked. "What in the world are you- "

Their eyes suddenly widened as they realized what he meant.

"O-oi . . . you can't possibly mean . . ." Hyosuke trailed off, but Natsu only stayed silent.

"All you need is a dragon slayer's life to complete the ceremony, right? Then afterwards the curse will be lifted. he stated simply, and their suspicions were confirmed.

"N-Natsu-san!" Wendy cried out.

"Don't be stupid, Natsu!" Erza told him.

"Oi! Natsu!" Gray said.

"Everything . . . This all happened because of me to begin with. It was all my fault, anyway." Natsu said, feeling pure determination. "So, I'll take responsibility."

"Hey! Don't you think that we're going to let you do that!" Hyosuke said.

"You're very precious to Lucy! So if you die, then she'll be very sad!" Kiyomi told him.

"There is no way that we'll let Lucy be sad ever again!" Mia yelled. "Just go, okay? There's no need to lose a life so we can save another!"

"Enough of this already." Kazuki dead paned and glared at Natsu after glancing at the now horrified Lucy. "Even if you did sacrifice yourself, it's too late now. Hidenori was an important part of the spell, but now he's dead. Killing yourself, won't do us any good now."

"Well, it's not like we'd have let you give up your life, anyway." Erza scoffed. "Don't you ever say things like that, Natsu! None of us has to die!"

"That's right, Natsu." Lucy finally spoke up. "Guys . . . go back home. Please. I know that you'll be able to figure out a way to save all of us somehow. So . . ."

They were all unable to speak for a moment as tears started to fill their eyes. Of course, the two guys managed to hold them back but it wasn't the same for the girls. Wendy was clutching unto Lisanna tightly while sobbing while the Take Over mage's tears were freely flowing down her cheeks. Yukino's eyes were shadowed but the lone tear that fell down her cheek was still visible. Erza tried her best to keep the tears from falling, but it was to no avail. Lucy only had a forced smile on her face, but the sadness in her eyes was visible.

"Lucy . . ." the titania muttered before blurting out. "We'll come back for you, okay?! You just wait for us! Don't you ever forget us!"

"We'll get you out of this hellhole somehow! There's no way we're leaving you here!" Gray added.

"Just hang in there, okay?" Natsu cried out. "Just wait for us. Wait just a little bit longer. We promise . . ."

"Lucy-san!" Wendy sobbed.

"Lucy . . . Look at your hand!" Lisanna told her. Once she did, she found herself staring at the back of her hand where her Fairy Tail guild mark used to be. Of course, it had disappeared when she _died_.

"You're a Fairy Tail mage, and that guild mark was the proof of that! But now that it's not there, anymore . . . We just can't leave things like that!" Lisanna struggled to speak as she started to sob as well.

"We're going to make you a Fairy Tail mage again Lucy!" Erza cried out. "You're going to become our nakama again! We'll make sure of that!"

At this, tears started to fall from the blonde's cheeks.

"Idiots! Even without the guild mark, I'm still a proud mage of Fairy Tail!" she told them, suppressing a sob. "Nothing can ever change that!"

She tried to steady her breath as she continued on. "I'll wait for you guys! No matter how long it takes! I'll wait for you!"

The air around them became silent, and nothing could be heard but their sobs and cries.

"Oh, you bastards!" Gray called out the SSS. "You better take good care of her while we're gone!"

"If anything ever happens to her, I'll never forgive you!" Erza added.

"Shut up! As if we're going to let anything happen to our beloved Adora-chan!" Kiyomi puffed her cheeks.

"Don't worry." Addei told them. "She's in good hands."

"I hope so . . ." Erza muttered.

"Oh, and . . ." Addei trailed off. "I think it's best if you guys don't tell so many people about this. Since . . ."

"Yeah." Erza nodded. "I already know."

Addei smiled at her and the titania smiled back.

"Ah, that's right . . ." Lucy said, getting something from her belt. "Yukino!"

The other celestial mage seemed confused when Lucy threw something at her, but she managed to catch it. It seems like the 'invisible wall' doesn't have any effects on inanimate objects. When she checked to see what it was, she was shocked to see that it was Lucy's keys.

"I hope you don't mind, but . . ." Lucy smiled at her. "Please hang onto those for me a little longer."

"I-I . . ." Yukino stuttered before looking at the celestial keys and tears filled her eyes once again. "They're going to miss you! But I'll make sure to take good care of them until you come back!"

"That's what I'm hoping you'd do." Lucy sighed. "Take care everybody . . . I'll see you again."

They made no move to leave, until Lisanna took Erza's hand, catching her attention.

"Let's go . . ." she told her, and the titania only nodded. They knew that if they stayed there for any longer, they won't be able to leave. So they all started to run back to the ship, tears freely flowing down their cheeks. But Natsu decided to stay a bit longer and stared at Lucy. The blonde celestial mage only watched her friends leave, and she wasn't able to take it. She collapsed to her knees and started to sob as she thought that this may as well be the last time she'd ever be able to see them. But if she told them that, then they would never have left.

The rest of the SSS started comforting her, with Addei embracing her tightly. All except for Kazuki, who's gaze never left Natsu. The fire mage glared back at him for a while before speaking.

"You better treat her good." he hissed. Kazuki's eyes narrowed as he scoffed.

"We'll treat her better than you did, that's for sure."

The guilt Natsu had felt from weeks before returned as he remembered how it all started. He was unable to reply and could only clench his fists in frustration. And after one last look at Lucy, she ran back to the ship with the others as Kazuki kept on glaring at him.

Lucy looked up at her friends once again. She didn't know if her eyes were playing tricks on her, but she swore that she saw each andd every one of her celestial spirits, behind Yukino, looking at her with sadness and tears in their eyes.

* * *

Erza wiped the tears from her face like the others did when they finally arrived at the ship. As expected the others were confused as to why Lucy and the SSS weren't with them.

"Natsu . . ?" Happy looked at the fire mage with worried eyes. They were all silent for a moment, until Erza looked at Hibiki.

"Let's go." she said, shocking them.

"B-but- !" Sherry, like everyone else, didn't know what to say.

"Let's go!" Erza yelled in a more commanding tone. And with that, the trimens obeyed and they set off back to Fiore. It was a quiet trip for them, and the only thing that could be heard was the soft sobs of some of Lucy's closest friends.

* * *

**End is nearing! Prepare yourself for what's going to happen!**

**Please review ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**

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	38. After they left

**More of an extra . . . nothing much happens. 3,038 words!**

**Well then, enjoy!**

* * *

Lucy, along with her friends, watched as the ship went farther and farther away until it completely disappeared from their sight. But despite that, Lucy still didn't want to leave and just continued to stare at the direction where they headed to.

"Lucy . . ." Addei rested an arm on her shoulder. "Let's go."

"Yeah . . ." Hyosuke added. "We're gonna have to find a place to stay at for the time being . . ."

Lucy remained silent for a moment before nodding. "Okay . . ."

"Guys . . ." Aeschylus spoke. "Artemis said that the fire in the castle has already gone out. Everything's gone down to ashes, but it looks like the basement wasn't that much damaged. We could stay there . . ."

"Got it." Addei nodded before grabbing Lucy's hand tightly. "Let's go, Lucy."

Although the blonde wanted to stay there a bit longer, she didn't resist when she was pulled away from the spot where she stood. But she kept looking back and only relied on Addei to guide her through the forest as she didn't seem to care where they went. Her thoughts were preoccupied with her friends and how they were going to handle things.

Because she had a feeling that that may have been the last time she'll ever see them, even though there was a voice at the back of her head that told her not to lose hope.

"So . . ." Hyosuke said to Kazuki. They were walking far ahead of the group, so the others would probably not hear whatever it was they were talking about. They wouldn't be interested in it, anyway, considering the situation they were in. "I guess you did care."

"What are you babbling about now?" Kazuki glared at him with his tone containing a hint of annoyance.

"I'm talking about Natsu, dumbass." Hyosuke scoffed. "You know, Lucy's unofficial boyfriend."

"Are you trying to tell me something or are you purposely trying to annoy me?" he clenched his fist and started walking ahead of Hyosuke.

"You know what I'm talking about!" the transformation mage easily caught up and started glaring back at him. "Look, when that guy was about to give his life for Lucy, you stopped him."

"Yeah, so? I told you didn't I? It's too late. The prince is already dead." Kazuki scoffed.

"Don't give me that bullshit! You and I both know how this whole ceremony works, along with Aeschylus and his shadow. We were the only ones who bothered to try to figure it out, and that's why the others didn't know about it."

"What's your point?"

"My point is that it wasn't too late! Hidenori's magic was already mixed with Lucy's which changed the curse in the first place. Now, it doesn't matter if he's dead, he's already played his part. All that's left is to sacrifice Natsu and then we'll all be out of here! So then, why? Why did you stop him?"

Kazuki was unable to reply, so Hyosuke continued on.

"You know just as much as I do that he was the one who caused all of this. It was all his fault. And the fact that Lucy forgave him so easily just makes you angrier, doesn't it? All these years we've spent serving the king gave us a cold heart. If we wanted to kill someone, then we can freely do so without getting into trouble. For us, killing was as natural as breathing and we killed anyone that did as much as annoy us. So if this were any other situation, that guy would have been dead already."

"That's just how we are, after all . . ." Kazuki sighed. "But even if we killed a lot of people, we never felt an ounce of guilt. So we never hesitate on killing again . . ."

"Yeah. But unfortunately, Natsu's a different case. Even if you wanted to kill him, you couldn't. Because Lucy would never forgive you if you did." Hyosuke stated coldly, which made his body tense. "So that time when he stepped in to give up his life for us . . . in a way, that was your chance wasn't it? You don't really care if he dies. In fact, you think he's better off dead, don't you?"

"Fine . . ." Kazuki muttered, sighing. "I admit it, you're right about everything.

"Of course I am." he smirked.

"But . . . you know. It's just that . . ." the air mage sighed. "Geez, I think I'm getting soft."

"Oh?"

"Well, it's just that . . . Lucy cares so much about that guy, you know? So if he dies . . . won't she get really sad?" Kazuki asked. "But of course, there's no way people like us could ever understand."

"Won't she just be able to get over it in the end?" Hyosuke asked. "In fact, you like her don't you? With Natsu out of the picture, you'll have a better chance with her."

"Look . . . I just couldn't, okay?" Kazuki snapped, but luckily his voice wasn't loud enough to catch the others' attention. "He just makes Lucy happy, and if he dies she'll be the one that's going to be really affected by it. She's already been through enough, you know? And . . . I just can't bring myself to just stand there knowing that I could do something to stop that from happening."

Hyosuke just stared at him with his eyes wide before sighing.

"It's almost as if you've already accepted the fact that Lucy will never be yours."

"Yeah, I already do." Kazuki said and started walking faster, leaving Hyosuke behind, standing there in shock. But he soon snapped out of it and quickly caught up with him.

"Seriously?! You're not even going to fight for it? You're just going to accept it, just like that?"

"What do you want me to do? She likes him and he likes her back. They went through hell in this place and it didn't do anything to keep them further apart. Hell, it brought them closer together! The guy was even willing to _die_ for her. How can I even compete with that?"

"I don't know, but you seriously can't give up so easily!"

"Oh yeah? Watch me." Kazuki scoffed before walking faster in an attempt to leave Hyosuke behind again. But the transformation mage seemed to have anticipated this.

"But- wait! What about our deal? You remember that, don't you?"

"We agreed that I'll confess after you do, right?" Kazuki raised an eyebrow at him, making the other man flinch.

"Oh yeah, that's right."

"In any case, I don't plan on keeping our promise."

"WHAT?! Dude, you can't do that!" Hyosuke yelled, catching the others' attention.

"I wonder what those two are talking about . . ." Mia muttered.

"I have no idea. But I am wondering why they're walking so fast. They're already so far ahead of us." Addei scoffed.

Back to the two men . . .

"Dude, you have to confess even if it kills you!" Hyosuke said, keeping his voice down.

"And why do I have to do that?"

"Because you promised, man! We had a deal! Breaking a promise isn't right!"

"Hyosuke, we _killed_ people for a living. Only _now_ do you want to talk about what's right?"

" . . . oh yeah. But still!"

"I made up my mind Hyosuke. And believe me when I say that it was a tough decision for me, but it couldn't be helped."

"Like hell it was!"

"Look man, Lucy's going through too much stress right now. So it's better if I don't become one of them. Besides, I decided to leave once I confess, remember? I can't leave her now with all hell breaking lose for her."

"Well . . . I guess you have a point." Hyosuke sighed. "But if that's what you're going to do, then I'm going to delay my confession to Kiyomi."

"Whatever, man. It's your life."

And that was the end of their conversation. But what they didn't know was that there was a certain nosy shadow who managed to listen to their entire conversation without them noticing. Artemis then returned to Aeschylus' side, sighing.

"_Idiots_ . . ."

"Hm? Did you say something?" Aeschylus asked.

"_No. Never mind. Is Lucy okay_?"

"Yeah. I think so . . ."

"Geez . . ." Mia muttered t herself, but Kiyomi heard her. "Why did all of this have to happen?"

"It's getting in the way of your goal, right?" she asked, startling the younger girl a bit.

"Oh, well. Yeah . . ."

"I wonder . . . is there really nothing we can do?"

"Lucy. What do you plan on doing?" Galan suddenly asked, catching them all off-guard.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well, your friends aren't gonna be coming back anytime soon, that's for sure."

"Oi! Can you be more insensitive?!" Mia cried out. "Don't say that so bluntly!"

"Yeah." Kiyomi nodded, while Addei's grip on the blonde's hand only tightened.

"Well . . . I'm not sure." Lucy replied, looking down. "I just . . . I wish they'll come back for me soon."

This caused an uncomfortable silence to befall them as they all stared at her in pity. Until Addei stopped walking and placed both of her hands on Lucy's shoulders.

"Don't worry, Lucy." she told her. "Everything will work out somehow. I'm sure of it."

Lucy only nodded and forced a smile. For now, she had all her friends who were there for her no matter what happens. She was in their care for now, since she decided that even though all odds were against her, there still might be a chance that she'll be able to go back home to her friends. So she'll be waiting patiently for them, not giving up. Because she knew that they won't either.

* * *

**Seven months later . . .**

* * *

Lucy sat down on the dirt as her mind wandered off to her friends. It had already been months since she last saw them. Right now, she was standing at the very same spot where she saw them off that night and staring at the very same direction where she last saw them heading off to. It became a habit of hers to just sit and spend the whole day there since that night. And she often thought that beyond her line of sight, right ahead of her was the kingdom she grew up in. The place she yearned for and where the people she cared about were currently at. She thought about her friends.

Erza's probably searching high and low for some way to get her back, with Gray and Natsu helping her out. But she's starting to wonder if they're still looking for a way right now. There's a chance that they've already given up. That's what Galan had told her, with his usual cold tone. This, of course, caused Kiyomi and Mia to get mad at him. But it was already too late. She had already considered the thought, but she hadn't completely given up. In any case, it was nice just sitting there and thinking about her life before all of this happened. And after a few weeks of thinking about it, she thought that even if she had the chance to change the past, she'll never do it. Because that whole incident was the reason why she met such nice people (in her opinion). And she just couldn't imagine what would've happened to them right now if she never came into the lives of the SSS.

But that doesn't mean that she's not concerned if she won't be able to leave this place. No, she was always wishing that she'll be able to get out of here already. That's what she prayed for every night. She missed her friends, even though most of them probably still think she's dead. Addei had told Erza to make sure of that, after all. It made her wonder how people were coping with her 'death'. Wow, this must've been what Lisanna felt back then.

Well, everybody probably misses her . . . or maybe they've probably gotten over her death and were acting like they normally did. For some reason, this thought caused a slight pang in her heart. But she supposed it was for the best. And once again, she found herself wondering if she should move on as well. They're not going to be arriving anytime soon. And she doubt that they'll be coming at all. Like they say, you shouldn't expect anything because it's better to be surprised than disappointed. So she probably shouldn't raise her hopes. But then, what would her friends think if they found out that she had lost faith in them. The thought of it made her frown. She didn't know what to do anymore.

"Adora-chan!" Kiyomi called out. "It's time for dinner!"

"Okay!" she called back, getting up and wiping the dust away from her clothes. They had already decided to call her Adora once again. She didn't really knew why, but she didn't mind that much.

Right now, they stayed at the place where the castle of Visna once stood. Hyosuke and Kazuki had managed to build them a small house, which in her opinion, was pretty impressive considering the fact that they had never built anything before. The only thing they've done related to something like it were repairing since the two men had often destroyed a few walls, windows or doors in the past and had been forced to fix it themselves. But it wasn't really the type of home a person would prefer. It was made entirely of wood that they got from chopping a few trees using their magic. Luckily, there were some supplies left in the basement that they were able to use in building. But the house was only enough to fit half of them, so they took turns and the other half had to sleep in the basement. There wasn't really much of a difference in sleeping on either one, but it made sure that they weren't cramped in such a small dark room anymore.

As for their food supply, they had found some in the basement that lasted them a couple of months. So it's all gone now. They're only source of food were the animals they get from their daily hunting and the fruits they pick from the trees. This must've made Kazuki really upset because of the lack of things to cook. He was always used to cooking them delicious and high-class food. But now, he had no kitchen, proper ingredients and spices. She always thought that that was the reason why he was so upset. He hadn't spent so much time with her lately like he used to. But she decided to just give her time to cope with the way things are like now. It was better to leave him alone. She knew, because that was how she always felt.

In any case, Mia had always compared their way of life now to be similar to Tarzan's or some civilization in the past that lived in a forest. It must be hard for them, after leading a life of luxury, to suddenly have to live a life like this. So Lucy had suggested that they go leave and find some sort of town where they could stay at. But they had strongly declined, for some reason. She thought that they probably couldn't face any of Visna's people after what they had done. But deep inside, she was glad. If they ever did move away from that place, she wouldn't be able to stay at her usual spot near the border. She already had to walk a long way to get there everyday. She was fine with the hard life, as long as she's able to stay at that place. Because she could always find some comfort in staying there and it helps clear her mind and make her relax.

"I'm back!" she yelled, arriving at their make-shift home.

"Adora-chan, I've been thinking . . ." Addei said, immediately approaching her before she even got inside. "You've been working hard lately, so why not spend a little time off? Hyosuke said that there's a village nearby, you can go there."

"We need some supplies anyway. I'm sick of eating meat all the time." Mia gagged.

"Oh, okay . . ." Lucy nodded, thinking of it as more of an errand than a time off. She was kind of nervous because the day after tomorrow was a very special day, she only hoped that they wouldn't forget. "When do you want me to go?"

"Tomorrow." Galan stated.

"Okay."

"You should be gone for a whole day. We found some spare coins hidden at the basement, it was probably the royal family's savings or something because there was a lot. It should be enough for you." Kiyomi told her.

"Okay then, I'll go get ready." Lucy nodded and went inside the house. The SSS stayed outside for a while so they can talk about what they were planning.

"She took the bait." Galan stated.

"Are we seriously gonna do this . . ?" Aeschylus asked, feeling a bit hesitant.

"We agreed, didn't we? In any case, we've already been preparing for this for what? Three months?" Mia told him.

"But still . . . planning is different from actually doing it." Hyosuke sighed.

"I feel kind of guilty for tricking Adora-chan like that." Kiyomi muttered.

"Well, it can't be helped I guess." Kazuki sighed. "In any case, I hope you're all prepared for this."

"Of course." they all nodded in determination.

"Well then, good luck to all of us. And let's hope that things will turn out for the best."

* * *

**Well, that's that! Wonder what the SSS could be planning . . . BTW, I prefer to keep calling them the SSS. Old habits are hard to break.**

**OMG, something really embarrassing happened to me yesterday! Well, it's probably not embarrassing to you guys, but it was to me! It was the first time something like that happened to me. This sort of thing has probably happened to you guys at least once. So I posted a chapter to Fairy's Guardian Angel before going to bed. And then morning came so I went to check my account in this website. It's a morning drill. I check fanfiction, facebook, and snafu. So I was a bit surprised when I saw that there were at least 10 reviews to Fairy's Guardian Angel since there were usually only five or less. But I ignored it and went to moderate some reviews since I decided not to look at reviews until I posted a chapter in another one of my storied. I was a bit surprised to see that one of the reviews that needed to be moderated said that I posted the wrong thing! I checked if it was true, and it was! I posted a chapter from this story instead! All those reviews were probably concerning that mistake. And it seriously took me a some time before I found the acutal file! Well, I name my files 'sdfbnh' or something like that after all. So I fixed that.**

**But seriously, does it take making a stupid mistake like that for an author to get many reviews? If so, I should do it more often XD**

**Anyway, Please review ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**


	39. The Plan

**3,700 words. I would've posted yesterday but I encountered certain troubles. I hope I didn't make you guys wait.**

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

The next day, early in the morning, Lucy was getting ready to leave, but she had a strange feeling like something bad was going to happen. She also noticed that her friends were acting a little strange, so she asked Addei about it.

"Oh, don't worry. We're just worried about you because, well . . . we can't come with you and it's not really the same without you around." she answered. "We know that it'll only be a day, but . . . look. Just be careful, okay?"

"Oh, of course! You don't have to worry about me, Addei-san. I can take care of myself, you know that." Lucy smiled at her.

"Geez, you act like you're her mother." Mia scoffed.

"Shut up! Is it a crime for a girl to be worried, here?" Addei scowled.

"Now now, don't fight." Kiyomi giggled, and Lucy couldn't help but do the same.

"Well then, I'm off." she said.

"Okay, Kazuki will be coming with you so he can show you the way." Addei told her.

"I know." Lucy nodded. "So, where is he?"

"Oh, I'm pretty sure he's with Hyosuke." Kiyomi said. "I'll take you to him."

"Thanks." Luicy nodded and Kiyomi led the way through the woods, all the while humming a happy tune. This didn't go unnoticed to the blonde and neither did the fact that she was practically skipping.

"You seem to be in a good mood."

"Yeah." Kiyomi nodded with a grin on her face.

"Anything good happen?"

"Yep." she couldn't help but giggle. "Hyosuke-kun confessed to me."

"EH?!" Lucy stopped and covered her mouth in shock. Kiyomi just smiled at her, meaning that she was serious. "Seriously?!"

"Yup!"

"Oh my God, I'm so happy for you!" Lucy squealed. "You've had a crush on him for a _long_ time, right? Heck, it was love at first sight!"

"Wh-what? H-how did you know that?!"

"Mia."

"She told you?! I can't believe it!" Kiyomi blushed. "Who else knows?! Tell me nobody else knows!"

"Addei, Aeschylus, Galan and Artemis." Lucy said hesitantly. She wondered if she should have told her this. "They all know."

Kiyomi's legs went weak because of this and she collapsed to the floor, covering her face in embarrassment. "I knew I shouldn't have told that little brat . . !"

"Ah, I-I'm sorry. W-was it supposed to be a secret?"

"Hey, what's going on?" they heard a familiar voice and turned to see Hyosuke along with Kazuki,

"Are you alright?" Kazuki asked in both confusion and worry as he looked at Kiyomi.

"Y-yeah . . ." she nodded before glancing at Hyosuke who also looked worried and immediately looked away with a blush. For some reason, Hyosuke blushed as well and looked away from her, making Kazuki smirk and nudge him with his elbow.

"So, Kazuki-san. Addei-san said that you'll be the one guiding me to town." Lucy said, changing the subject. The smirk on Kazuki's face immediately disappeared and was replaced with a frown, Kiyomi and Hyosuke stopped blushing as well and looked at Kazuki with a serious expression.

"Oh, right. Sorry about that. I completely forgot." Kazuki said, chuckling dryly. "Well then, let's go."

"Yeah." Lucy nodded, smiling and they left the new couple alone. Kiyomi and Hyosuke watched the two leave with worried faces. Both were thinking about the same thing. After Hyosuke confessed to Kiyomi and she gladly said that the feelings were mutual, he also informed her about his deal with Kazuki. He told her about everything he knew about their situation, which caused the girl to share the same worries as her new boyfriend.

"Will they really be alright?" Kiyomi asked.

"Yeah, don't worry." Hyosuke nodded. After talking to Kazuki, he finally managed to convince him to confess as well.

* * *

"So, Kazuki-san. You've been acting a little . . . strange lately." Lucy said as they headed down the road to the nearest town.

"Really?"

"Yeah, you've kinda been . . . distant. Is something wrong?"

"No, don't worry about it. I just . . . I just have something in my mind." he said.

"Oh."

Silence.

"It's nice how things turned out between Kiyomi and Hyosuke, huh?" Lucy said, smiling.

Kazuki paused before smiling as well. "Yeah, they're pretty lucky, huh?"

"Yeah . . ."

"It'll be the same when Natsu comes back, right?"

" . . . Yeah." Lucy's smile faltered a bit. "I can't wait . . ."

Another silence.

"Hey, Adora-chan."

"Yeah?"

"Do you believe in the afterlife? Or reincarnation, was it?"

"Huh?"

"You know, when you die but your soul still exists and then you're born again as a completely different person?"

"Oh, that. Well, people call it the next life or something like that. I don't know." Lucy shrugged. "But, I guess it's possible."

". . . wouldn't it be nice for all of us to meet again in the next life?"

"What's with this all of a sudden?" Lucy giggled, although deep inside she was getting really concerned.

"Well, if you ask me we didn't really meet in the most preferable way." he smirked. "I mean, wouldn't it be nice to have a more peaceful life? For all of us to be together without anything crazy happening?"

Kazuki stared at her for a while with a sad smile as she just looked ahead, not noticing his gaze.

"Don't you ever wish that . . . if only things could've been different?" he asked.

"Well, I guess you're right." she said before giggling. "Yeah, it would really be nice if we all knew each other in our next life. All of us, including all of my friends back home."

"Yeah . . ." Kazuki's smile faltered a bit.

"Ah, look Kazuki-san! There it is!" Lucy said, as she a small village came into their line of sight. Kazuki looked at the sky. Even though the place was always dark due to the clouds, you could tell the time by seeing _how_ dark it is. And by the looks of it, it was already afternoon.

"Will you be okay from here on?"

"Yeah. I remember the way here, so I'm sure I can get back on my own. I'll be fine." she smiled, and he did the same only he had sadness in his eyes.

"Adora-chan . . ."

"Yeah?"

"Do you really like that guy . . ? Dragneel?"

There was a silence as she stared at him in utter confusion before smiling once again.

"Yeah, I really love him. And . . . I miss him so much." she said as she looked at the sky and wind blew past them. Sadness was visible in the eyes of both of them. "I wish I could see him again real soon . . ."

Kazuki couldn't help but smile at her and gave her a pat on the head. "Don't worry. I have a feeling that you'll see him real soon."

Lucy only nodded, and before she knew it, Kazuki cupped her face and gently brought it close to his. Lucy blinked in confusion, but the blushed in embarrassment while Kazuki just stared at her. He felt a mixture of sadness, hurt and there was also a bit of happiness for some reason. For some reason, Lucy was happy just by the thought of Natsu alone. And if she was happy, he could bring himself to be happy for her.

"K-Kazuki-san? I-Is there s-something wrong?" she asked, still blushing at the closeness of their faces but he only smiled at her.

"You really do care about him, huh? Even though you've been apart for quite some time, you still haven't given up on him." Kazuki said.

"Wh-what are you going on about?" she asked nervously. "You've been acting weird. And so are the others!"

"It can't be helped I guess . . ." he sighed, ignoring everything she said. "For now, I'll let the two of you have this life."

Lucy blinked, not understanding what he said. But her eyes widened as she was brought into a tight embrace.

"But . . . in our next life . . . if we ever meet again in the next life." Kazuki sighed. "I'll definitely make you fall for me then."

He pulled away and gave her a determined grin while Lucy was left speechless. She wa much too shocked at what he just said. Did he mean it? Did this mean that . . ?

"But for now . . ." he sighed, patting her head once again and bent down to her so their foreheads touched. "I'll endure it for now . . . And I'm happy for you and Dragneel. He's damn lucky to have someone like you."

And without even waiting for a reply, he pulled away and was off back to where the others were. Lucy's eyes were still wide in shock and she felt her knees become weak, so she collapsed to the ground. She had to do something. It only seemed right that she does. It just didn't seem right if she just stood there and said nothing after he told her all these things.

"K-Kazuki-san!" she called out but found herself unable to speak. Kazuki stopped in his tracks and look back at her with that sad smile still on his face.

"You changed all of our lives for the better, Lucy. We're grateful for that." he told her. "But while all that was happening, I just couldn't help but fall for you."

He chuckled dryly before shaking his head and sighing. "Guess I really am an idiot . . ."

He turned away from her once again, lifting his hand upas a sign for 'bye' before heading off. This time, Lucy was unable to speak and she couldn't find it in herself to stop him. She was just that shocked.

* * *

Back in Fiore at the guild of Blue Pegasus, Hibiki was checking his Archive to do some research like usual.

"Found anything yet?" Eve asked.

"Nothing." he sighed.

"I guess that curse really is no joke, huh?" Ren said. "Even with Hibiki's archive, we still haven't found anything."

"But remember, we can't give up!" Ichiya told them. "Remember when we all thought our dear friends were dead, and we couldn't find out anything? But then we did! It took a few years, but we found out that they were still alive! So it's only natural that we do the same in this situation. We cannot give up!"

"Yes, Aniki!"

Something suddenly caught Hibiki's eye as he continued to search in his Archive. "Huh?"

"What is it?" Eve asked.

"That's strange . . . As of now, something's happening at Visna."

"Does it have anything to do with us?" Ren asked.

"Well, yeah I guess. It's affecting the curse on it."

"What?" they all asked.

"This . . . this isn't good." he said, turning to his team with a serious expression. "We need to pick up the Fairy Tail mages and get there, quick!"

"What? Why?" Eve asked.

"Something bad's about to happen." he stated simply. "If my hunch is right then . . . those guys are in danger."

"_Those guys_?" Ren asked, confused like the rest of them.

"The SSS."

* * *

"I'm back." Kazuki called out.

"Did you do it?" Hyosuke asked, wasting no time in asking with Kiyomi right behind him. "Tell me you did it?"

"Who did it?" Mia asked in confusion.

"What is 'it'?" Addei raised an eyebrow.

"_Oh, this is gonna be good_." Artemis smirked.

"What do you mean?" Galan asked.

"_Just watch_."

"Yes, I did it." Kazuki sighed.

"You did it?" Hyosuke asked in disbelief.

"What did you do?" Addei asked.

"_It_!" Kiyomi said, as if that word alone answered her question.

"What is 'it'?" Mia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't you guys know?"

"No!"

"Kazuki confessed to Adora-chan!"

"What?!" the four other former SSS members yelled in shock while Artemis just smirked.

"You liked her? Since when?" Addei asked in disbelief.

"Oh my God, what did she say?" Mia asked, wanting every single detail of what happened.

"You got dumped, didn't you?"

"Galan!" Kiyomi cried out. "Don't be rude.

"Man, but seriously. Did you really confess?" Mia asked.

"Well, you know. More or less." Kazuki shrugged.

"And . . . what do you mean by that?" Addei raised an eyebrow at him.

"She got the message."

"And what did she say?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" this time, they all yelled in disbelief.

"What do you mean 'nothing'?" Hyosuke asked. "Didn't she say anything?"

"I left before she did."

"What? Why?" Kiyomi whined.

"You all know why. I already know what the answer's gonna be." he sighed, turning his back to them. At this, they all went silent as they understood.

Silence.

"Well then, if we're gonna do this then let's go already." Kazuki said.

"O-oh, y-yeah." Addei nodded, walking ahead of them. "Follow me."

They did as they were told and the walk was a silent and awkward one. It probably would have been better if they hadn't found out.

"_Are you guys seriously gonna do this_?" Artemis asked to at least lighten the mood. But then again, the only ones that could hear her were never in a good mood, and the subject she chose wasn't an ideal one either.

"There's no turning back." Galan said, making the others look at him. His eyes turned to Artemis to inform the others that he was talking to her. "We've already made a decision, and it's too late to turn back now."

"That's right." Addei said as she, like the others, understood what they must be talking about. "It's for the best . . ."

Then they decided not to have anymore conversations, and they soon arrived at small village. The buildings look old and are practically ruble, so you could tell that it had been built decades or even centuries ago.

"So . . . what are we supposed to do, again?" Hyosuke asked.

"I don't really know . . ." Kiyomi said, wrapping an arm around his since the place creeped her out.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of everything." Addei said before turning to face them. They all stopped to stare back at her, she seemed to have a look of concern making them feel the same as well. After a while, she sighed and crossed her arms.

"Are you guys sure you want to do this?" she asked. "I mean, after all. If we do this there will be no going back."

"Don't be like that, Addie." Mia chuckled dryly. "I mean, after all this is over, it'll be all worth it."

Addei ignored the nickname Mia gave her and sighed once again before forcing a smile at them. "We're not even sure what could happen . . . I mean, the risk is too great. We could . . !"

"But you're prepared to do it." Mia said.

"Yeah, but you guys- !"

"Addei, we're all prepared for this. I mean, you can't do it alone after all." Hyosuke said.

"I know, but . . . Guys, we have to think of the worst case scenario here."

Silence.

"We're not sure it'll happen, though." Hyosuke said.

"In any case, we're prepared for anything. Whatever happens, we won't regret this decision." Kazuki said.

"Yeah . . ." they nodded.

"Well then, we better get started." Mia sighed and their leader nodded. Addei led them to the middle of the town where there was a lot of space, it was probably the town square or something. In the middle of it was a small wooden stage, an execution stand. The seven of them stood around it, holding their arms out towards it. Each of them then closed their eyes to concentrate on their magical energy. Once they successfully started emitting it, Addei started to speak in an ancient language that none of them could understand.

"_Quod egredietur de tenebris et exaudi preces meas. Suscipe offer pro votis. Id tenebris exi!_" she spoke and she kept on repeating those words until the sky started to darken and shadows started to surrounded. You could even feel the evil presence at that place.

At soon, those shadows started to gather in the middle of them, creating the silhouette of a rather large man. You could make out horns and an armor as well as red eyes, but other than that, nothing. The being was a shadow, just like Artemis.

Meanwhile, Aeschylus' shadow didn't need to concentrate since Aeschylus' magic power was more than enough for what they were doing. She could only watch them and her eyes widened at the creature in front of her.

"_Well I'll be damned_." she muttered.

Soon the spell was finished and they could once again open their eyes to see the being they had summoned. All of them had determined looks on their faces and they didn't show any signs of fear, even though they knew what the creature was.

"Sammael." Addei said, making the creature look at her. "The first ruler of Visna, and the one who bestowed upon us the curse of imprisonment."

"You should know that we killed your descendants so you won't be having any more." Galan said.

"O-oi! Letting him know that was completely unnecessary." Kiyomi said nervously,

The creature only laughed, making them flinch and their bodies tensed.

"_Well, I must say; well done. I've been watching over them ever since the moment I died, and they managed to impressed me. But that doesn't mean that they stand a chance against me_." it said, and a red glowing mouth appeared on its face that formed a smirk. "_So, have you come to kill me as well so you can free this wretched country of the curse I cast centuries ago? Well, how are you going to do that? I'm already dead_!"

"_That's true_." Artemis said.

Addei ignored what he said and continued to explain the story. "Years ago, Sammael ruled this country with an iron fist. He was considered extremely powerful, and people often wondered why. His power was the cause of him being involved in ancient forbidden magic. And one day, he made a crucial mistake. He kept being greedy and kept on seeking for power, to the point that he even offered his kingdom. That's how Visna got the curse. But it wasn't enough, and soon he even managed to sacrifice himself for the sake of power. That's how he got the form he has now, and also why he continues to exist until this day."

"So what? You have all the power you need, that means you can lift the curse, right?" Hyosuke asked.

"_That's right, I could do something like that in a blink of an eye. It'll be easy_ . . ."

"But there's a price, isn't there?" Kazuki asked, and it only chuckled. "What is it?"

"_Peace_ . . ." it said. "_I'm tired. Immortality isn't worth it. I want to go to the next life_ . . ._ But unfortunately, I can't. For me to move on, I have to be killed. But I, myself, can't do it_."

"_Funny. You want to die, huh_?" Artemis scoffed. "_Living can be tiring, after all_."

"So then, how can we do it?" Hyosuke asked, raising an eyebrow.

"_I will answer your question with another. I thought you already figured a way to lift such a curse_." its eyes narrowed.

"We did." Addei dead panned. "But as you said, there's another way. And that's you."

"_Well . . . I suppose you're right_." Sammael muttered. "_But honestly, you really are brave. The only reason why no one has found one earlier is because no one had been brave enough to summon me_ . . ."

"So, why don't you reward our bravery by giving us an answer?" Mia said, crossing her arms. "How can we give you peace?"

"_I'll Gladly tell you._" it said. "_You know, I am somewhat thankful that the plan of my descendants failed. If it had succeeded, I would forever remain in this form_."

"Just tell us." Galan muttered.

"_Very well_." the shadow then spread its arms wide and behind it, a thousand souls appeared. They appeared as shadows as well, and they seemed to be suffering. There were so many of them that they rose high up into the sky.

"Wh-what is that . . ?" they asked.

"_The souls of every person who died in this country_." Sammael answered. "_Being the one responsible for their misery, I have no choice but to accept their burdens. They are the reason why I can't move on_. _They are the reason why I suffer. I feel pain, but I cannot die. Everyday, the pain grows stronger as more miserable people die. I want to end my suffering, and that means ending theirs as well_."

"_Oh, so that's why you want to die_." Artemis said. "_Well, can't blame you_."

"So what do we do?" Addei asked.

"_Simple. You may temporarily carry their burden, enough for me to disappear in this world. With the burden gone, I'll be able to do it myself. Once I do, they will as well. And also, I am the life force of the curse. So when I die, the curse will be lifted_."

"Okay. Seems simple enough." Mia sighed.

"_Not so fast_." they turned to it in confusion. "_It's not that simple. Even if it's only for a while, to experience the pain and misery of thousands of people is too much for a mere mortal. Even if all of you would work together, it will still not be enough_."

"What are you saying?" Hyosuke asked, making Sammael's eyes narrow.

"_All these souls will enter your bodies and let you feel their pain. When that happens, you're body won't be able to take it and will be destroyed_."

Their eyes widened in shock.

"_In order to lift the curse, you must all sacrifice your lives_ . . ."

* * *

**I wanted Lucy and Kazuki to at least kiss, but . . . Nevermind.**

**Well, there's only around three chapters left. I want to finish this before June 10 where school starts for me. Wish me luck!**

**Anyway, Please review ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**

** ~ RnR ~ !**


	40. Thank you and Good bye

**3,845 words. **

**Hope you like it.**

* * *

Lucy was wandering around the village, looking for supplies and trying to distract herself through focusing on it. But despite her best efforts, she couldn't keep her mind off of Kazuki. He just confessed his feelings to her, and she didn't know what to do. How was she ever going to face him again? She didn't know what to do or what she would say to him. Would she even be able to find the courage to speak to him again?

"Mommy, what's that?" she suddenly heard a little boy ask, which caught her attention. The woman with him eyes suddenly widened and she backed away while holding onto her child tightly, the little boy continued to point something at the sky in confusion. It was followed by the panicked voices of a few other people, shocked and afraid. Lucy turned to the direction where everyone was looking at and she couldn't help but feel a wave of fear and shock engulf her.

Shadows were rose from high up in the forest. You could hear the cries of agony and if someone were to look closer, they'd notice that the shadows were formed by thousands of silhouettes. Just like Artemis, but these seemed . . . different. Lucy dropped her basket as she started shaking in fear, and at the same time everybody started running away. Nobody knew what it was, but it obviously won't do them any good by being anywhere near it. Lucy was still frozen as she continued to stare at it for a while. And then, realization hit her. That thing . . . whatever it was it was near the place where Addei and the others were. And without thinking, she started running towards it. Some people shouted at her, telling her not to but she couldn't care less about them. Right now, she was worried about her friends. They were all that mattered to her.

* * *

"Are we close?" Erza asked Hibiki.

"Yes, we should be arriving in at least half an hour." he told her. The Trimens were currently controlling Cristina with Team Natsu, Wendy and Charle on board. The situation was explained to them, and Team Natsu didn't waste any time in boarding the ship. Although Hibiki couldn't tell them much, they understood that their friends were in danger and that's all that mattered. Wendy had decided to come with them, since someone might need her to heal them, and Charle couldn't leave Wendy alone.

"But hey, how are we going to get into that place?" Natsu asked.

"Yeah, isn't there some sort of barrier that prevents anyone from getting in or out?" Gray asked.

"That shouldn't be a problem for us soon enough." Hibiki said. "In any case, we just have to get there as soon as possible."

"Ah, everyone! Look!" Wendy cried out. Their eyes widened at the sight.

They were still a few miles away from the country, but even so they could still see the large group of shadows from where they were.

"What is that?" Gray asked,

"Oh no . . ." Hibiki muttered before turning to his team mates. "We need to go faster!"

"Got it!" Ren and Eve nodded.

"What's going on?" Erza asked.

"It's starting . . ." Hibiki told her. "The former SSS may have found a way to lift the curse."

"Yeah . . . so? Isn't that a good thing?" Gray asked.

"Not if someone has to die in the process!"

"What?!"

"Look, let's just wish that we're not too late when we get there." Hibiki said. "I may not have found a way to get anyone out of there, but I did find a way to temporarily get us in."

* * *

Addei and the others were silent for a moment from what Sammael had just said. They will have to make the choice. To continue on and wait for another path of escape to show up which may never happen, or to sacrifice themselves and give happiness to the person they care about.

Silence.

"I'll do it." Kazuki said, shocking them.

"Oi! What are you saying?!" Hyosuke asked.

"Aren't you even going to have second thoughts on this?" Kiyomi asked.

"Kazuki, think about it, will you?" Mia added.

"Guys, when we decided to summon this guys, we took a huge risk. We didn't know if he'll kill us at first glance or if he'll even cooperate. From the start, we were practically giving up our lives. So then . . . what's with you hesitation now? I mean, things are already going smoothly right?" Kazuki said, but his friends were only silent. They still had a bit of hesitation left in them. "Guys we get another chance at this."

But still, they didn't reply but they did take his words into consideration. After a while of thinking, Kazuki finally grew impatient.

"Look, if you guys don't want to do it, then I'll do it alone." he said.

"_Oh no, I'm afraid you can't_." Sammael spoke and their attention turned to him. "_If you were to carry all of this burden alone, then your soul itself will be destroyed. But if all of you were to work together, then I think it's still possible for your souls to continue on_."

"So, all of us have to agree, huh?" Hyosuke sighed.

"Well this sucks . . ." Adde muttered.

Silence.

"I'll do it." Galan spoke up, shocking them.

"What?! You too, Galan?" Kiyomi asked, and the man only shrugged before turning to Aeschylus.

"Artemis asked me some time ago what my goal is. And I told her and Aeschylus that I want to do something without really doing anything. If I do this, then I'll practically be accomplishing that goal." he explained. "I mean, all we have to do is endure and die, right?"

"Don't say it like it's that simple!" Mia cried out.

"I-if Galan's in, then so am I." Aeschylus spoke up.

"Heh, you're getting braver, Aeschy." Kazuki smirked.

"What . . ?" Mia asked, her eyes widening. Aeschylus was her best friend, and to see him so prepared to die . . . That's when she snapped. "Fine! Let's just get this over with!"

"Mi-chan!" Kiyomi covered her mouth.

"Four of us agree that we should. Usually, majority wins. But we don't want to force you guys to your deaths." Kazuki said, sighing. "If we're gonna die, then we should at least die without any regrets."

Kazuki then glanced at Hyosuke with a sad smile on his face. Hyosuke noticed his gaze and stared back at him. Even without words, they knew what the other was thinking about. Hyosuke knew what Kazuki was trying to say.

Kazuki was thankful to him. If he hadn't convinced him to confess to Lucy, then he wouldn't know what he'd do. That's why Kazuki was prepared for this. He, as well as the rest of them, were doing this for Lucy. And considering the feelings Kazuki has for her, it was to be expected why he was the first one to agree to this. And because of Hyosuke, Kazuki was able to tell Lucy his feelings for her. He no longer has any regrets.

"Hey now, isn't there any other way we can help you?!" Kiyomi asked, snapping Hyosuke out of his thoughts and making him look at the girl.

"No." Sammael replied simply.

"You can't be serious . . ." Kiyomi muttered, her knees feeling weak. "But what about Adora-chan? What about Lucy? We're just going to leave her?"

"Kiyomi . . ." Hyosuke spoke, and the girl turned to him. "She has her friends back in Fiore. She'll be able to go back home, where she belongs."

"Hyosuke-kun! You can't be serious!"

"Now that I think about it . . ." Addei said, and all eyes went to her. "Wouldn't it have been better if none of this ever happened?"

"What are you talking about, Addei?" Kiyomi asked frantically.

"I mean just think, ever since Lucy got here, she felt nothing but misery. The only time she was actually happy was when she met all her friends again. It would probably be nice for her if none of this happened. If only . . . everything will go back to the way it used to be." Addei explained, frowning. The others quickly understood what she was trying to say and felt the same kind of sadness she had. "I mean, won't we just be a constant reminder of all the pain she experienced here? Won't it be better this way?"

There was a silence between them as they remembered all of their memories with Lucy in the Visna castle.

FLASHBACK

_"Yo!" Hyosuke grinned as Lucy first woke up in Adora-chan's body. It had been the first time they met. "You must be the princess!"_

_"It's nice to meet you!" Kiyomi added._

_". . . uh . . ." Lucy found herself unable to speak._

_"Oi, if you guys have time to goof around, then how about we go back to work." Addei scoffed, taking the role as leader, like usual._

_"C'mon, Addie." Kiyomi teased._

_"Don't call me that!"_

_"Well, she is a princess after all. A princess needs to be fawned over." Mia giggled. "Now then, onto the introductions!_

_"We're known as the SSS, and if you need anything don't hesitate to ask us!" Hyosuke smirked._

_"What's your name?" Kiyomi asked. Lucy had still been a little shy back then, and she didn't really trust these people._

_"What? Cat got your tongue?" Mia asked._

_"Maybe the new body thing is tough to handle. It's possible that she wants to speak, but just can't." Kazuki suggested._

_"Well then . . ." Kiyomi trailed off, thinking for a moment. "Why don't we give her a name until she speak to us?"_

_"A name?" they all asked._

_"Hey, I told you to stop goofing off!"_

* * *

_"Lucy's such a nice girl." Kiyomi said, patting the girl's head._

_"If you want to eat any more, then just tell me okay?" Kazuki said._

_"Okay . . ." Lucy nodded._

_"I got it!" Kiyomi said, gaining the attention of others. "We'll call her 'Adora'!"_

_"Why?" Addei asked._

_"Well, it just suits her. Since we all adore her so much!"_

_"I told you my name was Lucy."_

_"It's settled!" Mia cheered. "From now on, you'll be our beloved princess, Adora-chan!"_

_"Eh? But I told you, didn't I? I'm not staying here for long."_

_"Yeah, yeah. Sure . . ."_

* * *

_"Hey, that's dangerous, you know!" Addei cried out when Lucy leaned outside the window._

_"Aww, Addie really does care!" Kiyomi giggled._

_"Sh-shut up!" the older woman said, blushing a bit._

_"Relax, Addei-san. I'll be fi-" Lucy was cut off when she slipped and fell from the window._

_"KYAA!"_

_"ADORA-CHAN!"_

_It was the first time Addei had been thankful that Sebastian was around . . ._

* * *

_"Oh, man!" Hyosuke muttered, cursing under his breath. "Where the hell is it?"_

_"What's wrong, Hyosuke-san?"_

_"Oh, Adora-chan. It's you. I'm looking for the key to the dungeon. The prince entrusted it to me, so if I lose it I'll be dead meat. Literally!"_

_"You lost it?"_

_"I misplaced it!"_

_"Let me help you look for it."_

_"Really? Thanks!"_

_Meanwhile, Kazuki was peaking into the room with the rest of the SSS._

_"Maybe this wasn't the best prank we could pull." he said._

_Adora-chan's helping him out. Do you think we should return the key already?" Kiyomi asked._

_"Why did I even participate in this?" Addei sighed._

_"Now that I think about it, this prank's pretty lame." Mia said._

* * *

_Aeschylus and Galan kept on sneezing in their rooms._

_"Honestly, how can the two of you get sick?" Addei asked._

_"I heard there was an infective disease going around." Mia said._

_"Should I whip something up for the two of you?" Kazuki asked._

_"Ah, I know quite a bit about the sort of sickness you have." Lucy said. "Don't worry, I'll take care of you guys."_

_"Ah, you don't need to, Adora-chan." Aeschylus said._

_"Don't worry about it! I'll have you two back in your feet in no time!"_

* * *

_"You know, we're kind of like a family." Lucy said._

_"How so?" Kazuki asked._

_"Well, we spend a lot of time with each other, get into trouble, laugh, have some fun, and all that stuff." she explained. "If you ask me, we're like one big happy family!"_

_"Oh, so Addei's that 'daddy's little girl' kind of type?"_

_"Shut up!"_

_"Hahaha! Yeah!"_

FLASHBACK END

"We had a lot of good times, huh?" Hyosuke sighed.

"But all things come to an end eventually." Kazuki said.

". . . I wish it didn't have to be so soon." Kiyomi muttered.

Silence.

"You know, we did do a lot of awful things back then." Addei sighed. "I guess you can't expect the world to forgive you just like that when you've done a lot of terrible things . . ."

"Yeah . . . I guess a proper punishment is needed." Mia said.

"So the, it's settled?" Kazuki nodded. And after a moment of hesitating, they all nodded.

"_Are you all prepared_ . . ?" Sammael asked, a smirk on his face.

It took another moment before they all found the courage to nod once again.

* * *

It took a while before Lucy managed to arrive at the burned ruins where the castle had once stood. But when she got there, she didn't find anybody. They were all gone. This caused her to feel a surge of panic and worry.

"Everyone! Where are you?" she called out, hoping that they were all alright. "Addei-san! Kiyomi! Mia? Hyosuke-san! Aeschylus! Galan? Artemis?"

She wandered around, looking everywhere for them.

"Kazuki!" she cried out at the top of her lungs. But despite her best efforts, there were no response. Lucy's eyes widened as she turned her gaze back to the group of shadows. She was hoping, deep inside, that she was only over-reacting. They couldn't be there. They just couldn't be.

But despite these thoughts of trying to convince herself, she knew deep inside that they must be there. Where else could they be? And something else told her that they could be in great danger.

So without a second thought, she started running towards it as fast as she could, hoping that she wasn't too late. Hoping that they wouldn't do anything stupid until she got there. She willed herself to go faster, ignoring how it grew darker as she got nearer. She didn't feel fear for herself, only fear for her friends. They had been acting strange lately so it could mean that they had been planning something. And this must be it. She just wished she was wrong.

But as she arrived at an old and ancient town, her eyes widened when she saw them all, standing in between a large shadow that was ten times larger than any of them.

"Everyone!" she cried out, gaining their attention. Their eyes widened at the sight of her.

"Ad- Lucy!" Addei cried out and Lucy immediately ran to embrace her.

"Thank God . . . You're all safe! I was so worried about you guys! What's going on? What is that thing?" Lucy spoke, obviously afraid since her knees were trembling and she was holding onto Addei for dear life.

"Shh, it's alright Lucy. Everything's going to be alright." the older woman said, trying to comfort her as she pulled the blonde into a tight embrace. The others soon approached the two as well and tried to comfort her.

"Wh-what's going on? You guys better tell me right now!" Lucy tried to sound angry, but she failed since her voice was shaking.

"Lucy, I promise. Everything's gonna be alright." Addei told her.

"Yeah . . ." Hyosuke nodded.

"Lucy . . . we just want you to know that you've done so much for us, and you have no idea how grateful we are." Kiyomi said, rubbing her back.

"And just like you said, we're . . . one big happy family . . ." Mia said as she started sniffling. And then, she couldn't take it anymore. She was the first one to break down crying as she started embracing Lucy. Addei and Kiyomi couldn't help it and tears started to roll down their cheeks. The men held their composure but there was still sadness in their eyes. Except for Aeschylus who was biting his lip to prevent himself from crying out.

"Stop saying these thing! Why are you all talking as if you're saying goodbye?!" Lucy cried out. She started to tremble even more, because she didn't know what was going on and she could only think of the worst case scenario right now. "What's going on?! Just tell me already!"

"Lucy . . ." Kazuki said, kneeling down to her and grabbing her shoulders. "Just . . . remember back to the time before all of this happened. When everything was alright and you could enjoy yourself without a care in the world. Remember all those times when you were _happy_ . . . with all of your friends."

"Yeah. And just think about this as just one big nightmare." Hyosuke added, forcing a smile on his face. "But . . . every nightmare has to end, right? So don't worry. This one will be ending real soon."

"Everything will be back to normal. Just like how it used to be . . ." Galan added. For once in his life, he showed emotion.

"What are you guys talking about? What's going on?" Lucy asked. "Did you find a way to get us out of here? Can we all finally leave this place?"

There was a silence.

"Lucy . . ." Addie cupped her face. "I've always thought of you as my little sister. So you have no idea how painful it was to watch you wait for your friends every single day. I just knew that you missed them so much, and that they were the ones that made you happy. So just thinking that you were hurting from waiting so long and that I couldn't do anything to help you . . ."

Lucy was staring at her in confusion, feeling her eyes growing wet. Addei was holding back a sob but didn't even try to hold back her tears as she continued on, shaking her head.

"No matter what we did, no matter how hard we tried, we just couldn't make you just as happy as they did." she struggled for the words to leave her mouth.

"You're better off with them, since we'll only cause you a lot more trouble . . ." Kiyomi said.

"No! What are you guys talking about?!" the blonde cried out.

"Lucy, you should know that our entire lives have been a living hell." Hyosuke said, chuckling dryly.

"Sometimes, we even think that . . . maybe we were better off dead from the start. That maybe, it would have been better if we never existed." Aeschylus added, looking at Artemis.

"But . . . I guess you just made our lives worth living." Galan smiled.

"W-wait! Please! Guys . . . you're not leaving me, right? You can't! I . . ."

"_It's ready when you are_." Sammael spoke, gaining their attention. He had created what seemed like a bottomless hole. But around it, you could see the souls of the people, still crying out in misery.

"We better go." Addei said. And one by one, they embraced Lucy tightly. She wasn't able to do anything about it and only stood there in shock.

"See you in our next life, Lucy." Kazuki smiled at her. "And be sure to enjoy this one."

Before she could say anything, she found herself in Addei's embrace once again.

"Lucy, do me a favor . . ." she said, holding onto her tightly with a shaky voice. "Be sure to be able to look away before we die, alright? We don't want you to see us when it happens . . ."

Addei then pulled away from her and smiled before backing away. Lucy's knees weakened and she collapsed to the ground, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"No . . ." she muttered. "No! Please don't go!"

They all only stared at her with sad smiles on their faces.

"I guess this is the end of the SSS . . ." Galan muttered.

"It ended seven months ago." Mia told him.

"_Hey, Aeschylus_."

"Yeah, Artemis?"

". . . _I'm proud of you_." she said, and Aeschylus smiled up at her. "_You're pretty brave for doing this_ . . . _and you, too, should be proud of yourself_."

"Yeah . . . thanks."

"Is this alright?" Addei asked Kazuki. "You won't be giving her a special way of saying good bye?"

"No . . . it's alright." he said. "The fact that she knows how I feel is enough for me."

". . . if you say so."

"This is it, I guess." Hyosuke sighed, holding onto Kiyomi's hand tightly. "You ready?"

She nodded. "I won't have any regrets."

They stared at Lucy for a moment, the smile never leaving their faces.

"Bye . . ."

"See ya, Lucy."

"Never forget us, Adora-chan!"

"We're thankful to you for making us experience what it's like to be loved."

"And also, what it's like to love . . ."

And with that, they took a step back and they were all succumbed by the black hole Sammael created.

"No!" she cried out, running towards them. She got down on all fours and stared down through the darkness. And she saw them, falling down the dark abyss with the same smiles and their eyes reaching out towards her. They didn't even look sad, but instead they looked happy that they were able to at least say good bye to her. And they were comforted by the fact that they won't be forgotten.

"Everyone . . . No!" Lucy cried out as the souls started to engulf their bodies and prepared to destroy them. But before they did, someone wrapped an arm around Lucy's waist from behind and covered her eyes with the other hand.

"Wha- ?" the blonde started struggling at the person's grip.

"She told you, didn't she?" Erza's shaky voice reached her ears and Lucy stopped struggling. "She told you not to look . . ."

Lucy relaxed on the titania's grip, and she couldn't help but flinch when she heard various sickening sounds that indicated that her friends were gone, and that they died the same way she did during that incident.

Lucy couldn't hold it in any longer and started sobbing into Erza's chest while the rest of Team Natsu and the Trimens could only watch them, unable to do anything. They were too late. The black hole soon disappeared and no remains of the SSS were left behind. The only thing that's left are the memories of the ones who once knew them.

* * *

**Maybe I didn't pay so much attention to the pairing and focused on the story line . . . I re-read this story and I guess things didn't turn out as I hoped. But hey, I'm not one to complain. However this turned out, that's how it is.**

**You guys may hate me right now.**

**Please review ~ !**

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	41. EPILOGUE

**1,603 . . . sorry it's short. And I also apologize if it took so long.**

**EPILOGUE . . .**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

It was an unusually silent and rainy day at Magnolia.

The Fairy Tail guild was going on with its usual business, although there were some who were curious about certain things. Such as the fact that Team Natsu plus Wendy left that day with the Trimens on Cristina. Mira had confirmed that they hadn't gone on a job, which only raised the curiosity of her fellow guild mates. There were barely anyone who knew what was up. And the ones who did know, or in other words, the ones who went on the mission to Visna, didn't say anything and had just decided to keep their mouths shut while silently hoping.

And suddenly, the doors creaked open loudly, making the entire guild go silent. They were all expecting Team Natsu to come in so they could question them about where they've been.

What they didn't expect was a certain blonde that they had assumed was dead for months.

Erza, Natsu, Gray, Happy, Wendy and Charle were all smiling along with Lucy who stood right in front of them.

Their eyes widened.

Their jaws dropped.

The guild was in shock.

Silence befell them.

Until

.

.

.

"Lu . . ." Levy muttered, tears filling her eyes as she started trembling. "LU-CHAN!"

The little bookworm jumped from her seat and ran to embrace one of her best friends. Her shout caused the guild to go on an uproar. People questioned what happened, friends started crying, and some people sighed in relief to see their blonde celestial mage alive and well.

"What the hell's going on?!"

"Didn't she- ?"

"I don't really understand, but thank God!"

"Oh man, it's Lisanna all over again . . ."

"Lu-chan~! Thank God!" Levy continued on sobbing into the girl's chest.

"I missed you too Levy." Lucy giggled.

"I-I . . . I didn't think it was possible . . ." Mira said, biting her lip to suppress a sob.

"Me neither."

"When I saw what happened to your body . . . And what that bastard did to you . . . you had no idea how- how . . ." Mira couldn't take it anymore and just started sobbing and embraced the younger girl like Levy did.

The guild started cheering and celebrating, but that didn't change the fact that they were still confused and so they approached Team Natsu to look for answers. A huge crowd gathered around them and they all started talking at once, curious as to what really happened. But there were some who didn't really care and were just very glad that their friend was alive.

"Don't you ever scare me like that ever again!" Levy cried out.

"I'll never forgive you if you do!" Mira added. "Do you know how hurt we were?! Do you have any idea how much we missed you?! We all thought you died!"

"I know guys . . . I missed you too." Lucy said, embracing them tightly.

"Erza! Natsu! Gray! Lucy!" Makarov called out, gaining everyone's attention. "Come to my office! You too, Happy!"

"Aye!" Happy yelled, and the group made their way to the master's office. The whole team was offering Lucy smiles, telling her that they were glad she was back. But it wasn't really necessary, since they practically celebrated her return on their way here.

"You . . ." Makarov muttered, as they arrived at his office. They were silent as they waited for him to say something.

.

.

.

**"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!"** Makarov yelled as he jumped from his seat to stand on his table and pointed an accusing finger at them, obviously demanding an explanation. His reaction only made the team laugh.

They indeed explained to the master what had happened, and they will later do the same with their fellow guild mates. At first, the master was furious as to why they hadn't informed him sooner. But he later understood and forgave them, and quickly started crying, delighted that one of his "children" came back to life. Literally.

Needless to say, it was a happy day at the guild. Regardless of the weather.

* * *

"I'm really thankful that you managed to come back to us . . ." Erza said, giving her a smile.

"I'm glad that I was able to return to you guys too." Lucy grinned, embracing the two boys beside her.

"We never stopped searching for some sort of loophole, you know." Natsu grinned.

"Yeah, although we didn't find anything of use . . ." Happy sighed.

"It's alright. I mean after all, it's to be expected that lifting such a spell would be really difficult." the blonde smiled at them. "But . . . I'm glad that you didn't give up on me."

Natsu placed a hand on her shoulder. "C'mon, Lucy. Even if it took us years before we'd find some sort of solution, we'd never give up on you."

He grinned, and Lucy smiled back at him. "Yeah . . . thanks!"

"But seriously . . ." Gray trailed off, as he and Natsu pulled away and smiled at her. "That was some sacrifice your friends made."

At this, Lucy stopped on her tracks, making her friends look back at her. Shen frowned at the memory of her friends and looked down on the ground in sadness.

"Idiot! That's a sensitive topic, you know!" Erza yelled at him.

"A-ah! I-I'm sorry!" the ice mage cried out.

"How could you be so insensitive, Gray?!" Natsu said.

"Aye! That was mean!"

"I said I was sorry!"

"No, it's okay . . ." Lucy said, gaining their attention. She only looked up and smiled at them.

"You know, Lucy . . ." Erza trailed off. "I found out something about them while researching about Visna. They . . . really don't have a good reputation."

"O-oi, Erza." Gray whispered. "Is it really okay if we let her know about that?"

"Yeah, I mean they _were_ really close, right?" Natsu added, keeping his voice low as well despite the fact that Lucy could hear them regardless.

Silence.

"Do you . . . want to know about it?" Erza asked. Lucy remained silent, thinking things through for a moment.

"No thanks . . ." she shook her head and smiled. "Even if they did have terrible pasts . . . I'm glad I met them. And no matter what you tell me, my opinion about them won't change. So you don't need to bother telling me anything."

Erza couldn't help but smile at her reply and the other men sighed in relief.

Lucy giggled. "They're my friends. That's all that matters."

"Good." Erza nodded. "Now c'mon. We kept your apartment for you."

"Eh? Really?!" Lucy asked, her eyes shining.

"Yeah. Coz, you know, we just can't let it go." Gray shrugged.

"Let's go, Lucy." Natsu said, reaching a hand out towards her, which Lucy gradually took and they made their way towards her apartment.

"The nightmare's over . . . You're home." he told her.

"Yeah." she smiled. "I know."

**A few weeks later . . .**

Lucy sighed and stepped back to observe her work. She was currently at the outskirts of Magnolia, working on the gravestone of her friends. Her team had wanted to help her out, but she told them that it'll be more special if she did it herself.

She stared at the gravestone with the names of the SSS carved on it and sat down.

"Thanks guys . . . for everything." she said, smiling sadly as a soft wind blew through the clearing. "I owe you guys a lot . . . I only wish that you could be here with me right now. We would've all been so happy."

There was a silence as she continued to stare at the grave.

"_Gotta say, you did a good job. Have you done this sort of thing before?_"

Lucy flinched when she heard that oh-so familiar voice and whipped her head around only to see a shadow . . . Aeschylus' shadow . . . Artemis!

"A-Artemis! You're alive!" Lucy cried out, tears filling her eyes.

"_Of course I am_." she scoffed. "_Those souls only destroyed the physical body of the ones who carry the burden. And as you can see, I'm a shadow. I don't_ have_ a physical body_."

"I'm so glad . . ." Lucy muttered to herself. "At the very least . . . you're safe. Thank goodness . . ."

"Hey, those guys gave up their lives for you. But that doesn't mean that we can just leave you alone. Especially with those jerks." Artemis said. "_So . . . I'll be here for you. As your shadow_."

In a blink of an eye, Artemis connected herself to Lucy's body and the shadow's appearance changed an became similar to Lucy's figure. Lucy was so happy that she started laughing and started moving about while watching her new shadow mimic her moves.

_"I'm sure am happy that you're happy_." Artemis smirked. "_The others would've wanted that_."

Lucy's smiled faltered, but only a bit. "You guys . . . you've done so much for me."

_"Hey, what are friends for_?" she asked, and they both smiled at each other and made their way back to town so Lucy could tell her friends about her new shadow.

"_So . . . how's it going with you and that fire-guy? You guys official yet_?" Artemis asked.

". . . Not yet." Lucy sighed. "After everything that's happened, I don't think I'm ready for a relationship yet."

"_Well . . . I guess it doesn't really matter_." she shrugged. "_That guy's persistent. He'll obviously won't give up on you and he'll definitely wait for you_."

"Yeah . . ." she grinned. "I know."

* * *

**Alternate ending on the next chapter. If you don't want one, then tell me.**

**THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING LOVE AND SINS! I enjoyed writing this, and I sincerely hope that you enjoyed reading it.**

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